Best Golf Courses Near College Football Playoff Bowl Games (2025 Guide)

If you have a team in the College Football Playoff, you might be in the process of planning your trip. Along with your schools’ colors, you should pack your golf clubs.

Here is a look at some of the best public courses near the sites of some of the big games in the CFP:

One of the oldest courses, Harding Golf Course in Los Angeles sits only 11 miles from the Rose Bowl. And because it has been around for more than a century, there are stories to tell. Legend has it, Babe Ruth was playing golf here in 1920 when he found out he was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees.

Not far from Pasadena, Angeles National is a heavily bunkered course with a stunning design. It’s got a desert feel with mountain views everywhere, and is widely considered one of LA's top hidden gems. Plus, there's a wide variety of tees, making it playable for every skill level.

About 45 miles north of Los Angeles sits Rustic Canyon. The course, located in Moorpark, was co-designed by the flourishing architect duo of Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner and golf writer Geoff Shackelford, and is lauded for its wide fairways, rolling and free-flowing greens, and strategic shotmaking. Golfers seeking quality value golf will find it, with weekend 18 holes (Thursday-Sunday, booked 14 days in advance or closer) at $89 and weekday rates at $59. Junior and senior rates are all less than $40 any day of the week, too.

The two golf courses at Grayhawk Golf Club are some of the best public courses you will find in the area. The Raptor and Talon are easy to navigate, but present plenty of challenges from tee to green. The experience from the parking lot to the final hole of your trip will be that of high quality. You will find plenty of merchandise to choose from in their sizable golf shop, and there's a variety of food & beverage options within the clubhouse that are perfect for pre- or post-round.

In most of the winter months, golfers at TPC Scottsdale will play the Stadium Course with the grandstands either already built or in the middle of being built. It adds a whole different and exciting environment to a round of golf. The Champions Course is worth playing as well, as it feels like a completely different golf course than the Stadium. The variety between the two courses make for a great destination during your trip.

The Cholla Course at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club is one of best courses in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. Alongside Cholla is the Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw-designed Saguaro course, which is a rare desert links design that follows natural movement of the land. While the natural desert surroundings put premium on accuracy, We-Ko-Pa also brings outstanding views of the mountain ranges and pristine conditioning, especially in the winter, making it a great desert golf experience. Additionally, We-Ko-Pa offers stay-and-play and 36-hole packages, too, making it easy to try out both Cholla and Saguaro.

Home to the University of Miami’s Women’s team, the original design at The Biltmore came from Donald Ross in 1925. In 2007, architect Brian Silva completed a restoration to bring the course back to Ross’ original intention.

About 20 minutes south of Hard Rock Stadium, Crandon Golf at Biscayne gives water views for days. Need proof? The web site says it is the only golf course in North America with a subtropical lagoon. It has also hosted PGA Tour Champion events.

Another quick trip 20 miles south of Hard Rock Stadium offers an opportunity to play Miami Beach Golf Club, a picturesque par-72. A demanding par-5 starts the day and quickly lets you know you’ll be seeing a lot of water all day.

One of the best spots near the Superdome, TPC Louisiana is home to the Zurich Classic and a course designed by the legendary Pete Dye. The best part? You can fit in 18 holes and be back on Bourbon Street in plenty of time to have some fun before kickoff.

A 36-hole layout less about 10 minutes from the Caesars Superdome, Bayou Oaks gives you plenty of options. The South Course, redesigned in 2017 by Rees Jones, can tip out at 7,300 yards. Looking for something a little easier before the big game? How about the North Carouse, which is a more reasonable 5,700 yards.

Another short drive – less than 10 miles away and across the Mississippi River – sits Lakewood Golf Club, whose bunkering you won’t soon forget. Most notably, the fairway and greenside bunkers at the par-4 18th are shaped by like flames and filled with red sand as a tribute to the city’s firefighters.

About 45 miles from Mercedes-Benz Stadium is Chateau Elan situated amongst a vineyard. Worried you might not get a tee time? Chateau Elan has 45 holes, including an executive par-3 course.

Another 45-minute trip from the stadium is The Frog, a Tom Fazio design that is regularly regarded as one of the top courses in the state. It has attained Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Status. The parkland-style course opened in 1998.

Yeah, you’re back in the car for a 40-mile trip, but it’s worth it. Because waiting for you is Bear's Best, a standout Nicklaus design with pristine conditioning and an impressive routing. Nicklaus selected 18 holes from the more than 300 courses he has designed and put them all in one place.

There’s all kinds of options with this one about 45 minutes from AT&T Stadium. There is Fields Ranch East, which was designed by Gil Hanse, and Fields Ranch West, designed by Beau Welling. There is The Swing, the 10-hole, lighted par-3 course. And don’t forget about The Dance Floor, a 2-acre putting course and entertainment area.

OK, we know we are pairing football and golf here, but let’s throw in some baseball. Only 2 miles away from AT&T Stadium is the only Major League Baseball-branded golf course in Texas Rangers Golf Club. It proudly points out it is “Texas big” – with 111,000 square feet of bunkers.

Less than 15 miles from AT&T Stadium is Tierra Verde, which gets rave reviews and is the first course in Texas and first municipal course in the world to attain Audubon Signature Sanctuary status. It is regularly lauded as one of the best conditioned courses in the Metroplex.