These 7 Top Golf Destinations Measure Up to the Hype
The Best Private Golf Clubs in America for the Serious Golfer
If you live for the game, you've probably run the familiar circuit—resort stay-and-plays, chasing tee times at a busy public course. Then comes the moment serious players want something deeper: pure golf, without the noise.
That’s why Dormie Network membership opens the door to a collection of private golf clubs across the U.S., each built on one non-negotiable: the golf course is the main attraction. The best private golf clubs in America prioritize unhurried play, pristine conditions, and world-class architecture over real estate development or crowded tee sheets.
Dormie Network courses come from architects including Coore & Crenshaw, Tom Fazio, and David McLay Kidd, complemented by on-course lodging and chef-driven regional dining—all in a setting built for building relationships.
Since Dormie Network’s founding, every club acquisition or new development has centered on enhancing the golf course first.
"It's not just about growing Dormie Network," says Dormie Network President Zach Peed. "It's about reinvesting in course conditions and amenities in ways that add value to the pure golf experience for our members and their guests."
Dormie Network has consistently raised the bar for golf experiences across the country. With no plans to slow down, the opening of GrayBull Club in 2024 marked another chapter and expanded the Network westward.
Explore Dormie Network’s collection of top golf clubs, ordered from East to West.
Top Golf Destination in New Jersey: Hidden Creek in Egg Harbor Township
Hidden Creek clubhouse
Offering an entirely different scene from Atlantic City just 30 minutes away, Hidden Creek is a quiet walk in the woods. In a county brimming with exceptional golf courses, it stands tall with a satisfying display of Coore & Crenshaw’s signature minimalist style. It’s also the only Coore & Crenshaw course in New Jersey. Hidden Creek's course flows naturally with the land, prioritizes playability and beauty, and warmly welcomes the walking game.
Beyond the fairways, the club's secluded setting continues with Dormie Network's largest lodging accommodations—mansion-style homes with up to 12 bedrooms, making it an ideal destination for corporate retreats, member-guests, and buddy trips alike. Hidden Creek's culinary program has become a member favorite, pairing seafood-forward menus, wood-fired pizzas, an exceptional Italian wine list, and a perfect philly cheesesteak.
Trust us—this isn’t the Jersey Shore you’re used to.
Hidden Creek’s Notable Accolades:
#12 Best Private Course in New Jersey (Golfweek, 2025)
#18 Best Course in New Jersey (Golf Digest, 2025)
#150 Best Modern Course in the U.S. (Golfweek, 2026)
Top Golf Destination in North Carolina: Dormie Club in Pinehurst
Dormie Club clubhouse
Experience a piece of history reborn at the namesake course, Dormie Club. Designed by Coore & Crenshaw and located just a few minutes north of Pinehurst, the “Home of American Golf,” Dormie Club offers one of the finest destination golf experiences in the North Carolina Sandhills.
When Dormie Club opened in 2010 near Pinehurst, it earned the #3 Best New Course nod from Golfweek but later lost its luster as a heavily trafficked public venue. Few thought new ownership would be up to the challenge, but when Dormie Network acquired the club in 2017 (and was so invested in its success that the Network adopted the club’s name), work quickly began on upgrading and adding facilities and resting the turf with limited tee times. Investments in the course have more than paid off when Dormie Club earned the #15 Best Course in North Carolina distinction from Golf Digest in 2021 (following the grand opening of its new facilities), cementing its place as a top golf destination.
Dormie Club’s rankings of note:
#12 Best Private Course in North Carolina (Golfweek, 2026)
#167 Best Modern Course in the U.S. (Golfweek, 2026)
#16 Best Course in North Carolina (Golf Digest, 2025)
#20 Best Course in North Carolina (NC Golf Panel, 2022)
#3 Best New F&B Facility (Golf Inc. Golden Fork Award, 2022)
#3 Best New Course (Golfweek, 2010)
Top Golf Destination in Virginia: Ballyhack in Roanoke
Ballyhack clubhouse
If it’s expansive tee shots and epic mountain views you’re after, Ballyhack delivers. A challenging course designed by Lester George emphasizes native rough, double greens, and wide fairways. Ballyhack offers a dynamic round where no two days feel quite the same due to the region’s natural winds. Golf Digest fittingly dubbed it “The Ballybunion of Southern Virginia,” recognizing its rugged character and timeless appeal. The club leads the Appalachian region in environmental stewardship thanks to a lean water management philosophy to keep the course firm and fast while reducing runoff, and was awarded the 2021 National Golf Course Owners Association Mid-Atlantic Sustainability Award.
Steeped in Southern charm, Ballyhack proudly displays its heritage as a former dairy farm, with its original silos still standing and a resident herd of goats helping maintain the native rough. Off the course, the club is a favorite for sunset dinners on the patio overlooking the 18th green, complemented by a knockout 200-bottle, glass-encased wine room featuring acclaimed regional and imported vintages.
Ballyhack’s Notable Accolades:
#5 Best Course in Virginia (Golf Digest, 2025)
#210 Greatest Courses in America (Golf Digest, 2025)
#9 Best Private Course in Virginia (Golfweek, 2025)
#5 Best Course in Virginia (WorldAtlas, 2025)
#3 Best New Private Golf Course (GOLF, 2009)
Top Golf Destination in Indiana: Victoria National in Newburgh
On the bucket lists of purists across the country, Victoria National is widely considered one of the most challenging and scenic private courses. This course has even been used as the final testing ground for players graduating to the PGA Tour. Tom Fazio sculpted the course across reclaimed mining land, featuring over 500 million gallons of water hazards. The course culminates with its infamous five-hole finishing stretch known as The Gauntlet: the most difficult finishing holes found anywhere in golf.
It’s no surprise that Victoria National consistently secures a place among Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Courses and most challenging tracks in America. Don’t worry—you can find extra balls at the golf shop.
The course may test you, but the onsite cottages offer the reprieve: sumptuous king suites, shared elegant spaces, and breezy, screened-in patios.
Victoria National’s Notable Accolades:
#59 Best Modern Course in the U.S. (Golfweek, 2026)
#1 Best Private Course in Indiana (Golfweek, 2025)
#1 Best Course in Indiana (Golf Digest, 2025)
#60 Greatest Courses in America (Golf Digest, 2025)
#2 Best Golf Course in Indiana (GOLF, 2024/2025)
Top Golf Destination in Nebraska: ArborLinks in Nebraska City
ArborLinks clubhouse
ArborLinks was built as a model for the future of golf and environmental stewardship, the product of a collaboration between Arbor Day Foundation, Landscapes Unlimited, and Palmer Course Design Company. The result is a course set on 300-plus acres of rolling hills, found inconspicuously between heritage cornfields under a big Nebraska sky. Today, it is lauded as one of Arnold Palmer’s best course designs.
Complementing the countryside course is a charming clubhouse where you can sink into plush leather armchairs by the fireplace and put your feet up. ArborLinks is a favorite venue for business entertainment, offering executive groups the ability to impress clients on the course while utilizing a variety of private meeting spaces. The clubhouse heckle deck above the 18th green is a favorite spot during member-guest events.
To round out the experience, ArborLinks offers the Network’s largest variety of lodging options. The Northwoods Complex, home to an 8-Plex, 12-Plex, and the spacious Owner’s Cottage, is the ultimate overnight retreat for large groups with access to a private putting green and outdoor fire pits.
ArborLinks’ Notable Accolades:
#13 Best Course in Nebraska (Golf Digest, 2025)
#3 Most Improved Facility of the Year (Golf Inc. Golden Fork Award, 2019)
One of Arnold Palmer’s best courses (Golf Digest, 2025)
Top Golf Destination in Texas: Briggs Ranch in San Antonio
Briggs Ranch clubhouse
Set in the beautiful Texas Hill Country just outside San Antonio, Briggs Ranch leads the Network standard in warmth of reception, green sustainability, and yeehaw. Briggs Ranch is truly a course interesting yet friendly enough to play every day thanks to a masterful design by Tom Fazio.
The experience wouldn’t be complete without embracing Texas flair by grabbing made-to-order tacos and a cold drink at the Truck Stop, and saying hello to Briggs Ranch’s mini longhorn mascots during your round. Afterward, explore the tucked-away specialty bourbon bar featuring over 40 rare spirits, try our best-selling custom-canned cocktails, or book a bespoke Chef’s Table dinner. Reserving the second-floor veranda is recommended for private dinners, where the cross-breeze can’t be beaten.
Briggs Ranch’s Notable Accolades:
#38 Best Course in Texas (The Dallas Morning News, 2026)
#32 Best Course in Texas (Golf Digest, 2025)
#4 Best New Course (Golf Digest, 2002)
Top Golf Destination in Nebraska: GrayBull Club in Maxwell
Offering perhaps the most dramatic visual departure in the Network, GrayBull Club challenges you to find a larger horizon anywhere in golf. Nestled in America's holy land for golf, the Nebraska Sandhills, David McLay Kidd’s authentic links design brings the purest form of golf to life. There are no trees, no cart paths, and no limits. As you roam the huge dunes, every swing feels like the adventure of a lifetime. GrayBull Club continues to make waves across the golf world as it marks Dormie Network’s inaugural ground-up build and Kidd’s first design in Nebraska.
Early risers are rewarded with an unmatched view as the sun rises over the Sandhills, best taken in from your cottage patio with a coffee in hand. Throughout the property, the cottages and clubhouse embody refined rustic charm, adorned with Western accents that reflect the rugged yet romantic surrounding prairie. During your round, be sure to stop at the iconic yellow pickup accessible near the 14th hole for a cold drink and an unbeatable view. To cap off the day, a hearty Midwestern menu provides the perfect culinary pairing to a world-class round.
GrayBull Club’s Notable Accolades:
#3 Best Private Course in Nebraska (Golfweek, 2026)
#4 Best New Private Course (Golf Digest, 2025)
#5 Best Course in Nebraska (Golf Digest, 2025)
#187 Greatest Courses in America (Golf Digest, 2025)
Best New Private Course Designed by a future Hall of Fame Architect (Sports Illustrated, 2024)
Best of 2024 in the Golf Courses Category (Kingdom, 2024)
Just like you’re able to customize your dining adventure to your party size and preferences, you can choose the location that best suits your group’s skill level. Whether you’re looking for a fun, lighthearted match or want to show off your home-course advantage, Dormie Network has a course for you.
And because Dormie Network membership gets you access to all clubs (and the cross-club team’s trademark anticipatory hospitality), your favorite cigar and a fresh sleeve of your preferred golf balls will be waiting on your cart, no matter which club you choose to play next.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Current clubs include ArborLinks in Nebraska City, Nebraska; Ballyhack Golf Club in Roanoke, Virginia; Briggs Ranch Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas; Dormie Club in West End, North Carolina; GrayBull Club in Maxwell, Nebraska; Hidden Creek Golf Club in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey; and Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, Indiana.
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Course architects currently include: Arnold Palmer (ArborLinks), Lester George (Ballyhack), Tom Fazio (Briggs Ranch, Victoria National), Coore & Crenshaw (Hidden Creek, Dormie Club), and David McLay Kidd (GrayBull Club).
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Each Dormie Network club pairs world-class golf with exceptional onsite accommodations, creating a seamless destination golf experience from arrival to departure. While every property offers its own distinct landscape, architecture, and regional character, they are united by impeccable course conditions, personalized hospitality, chef-driven dining, and a shared commitment to the pure golf experience.
