The foothills of the West Maui Mountains provide splendid terrain and views, making Kahili one of the island’s most popular tracks. The course isn’t especially long at 6,570 yards, but it’s not especially easy, either. Your score will depend largely on how well you handle Kahili’s hilly par 4s.

Few architects have left a broader, deeper mark on California golf than the late Robert Muir Graves. At Santa Clara G&TC, he layered fairways over gentle slopes while placing 58 bunkers and complementary water hazards with his typical precision. The course makes a great breather from the everyday stress of Silicon Valley.

A Low Country high point, Rose Hill accentuates all the area’s best traits: oak trees draped with Spanish Moss, shimmering wetlands and wildlife galore. Don’t let your mind wander too far, though. Despite its peaceful setting, Rose Hill can turn beastly – like one of the native gators – if approached carelessly.

Jed Azinger, brother of Paul, teamed with Gordon Lewis on this Tampa Bay jewel. Landing areas are wide, but bordered by ponds and wetlands. In other words, if you stray, don’t stray far. A sharp short game also comes in handy at Heritage Isles, which ends with a bang on the risk-reward 18^th.

You’re no doubt familiar with the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course, but its sibling is no second fiddle. Also designed by Pete Dye, the Valley Course offers a bit more room to roam, and its corridors look even wider if you’ve just played the Stadium Course. Still, there’s water on 14 holes, so it’s not like Pete went totally soft.

Twin Warriors GC
Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M.
From $59

This high-desert stunner delivers pretty much everything that makes New Mexico golf so thrilling: endless views of the Sandia Mountains, shifting elevation, the nearby presence of 20 ancient cultural sites and the sacred “Snakehead” butte called Tuyuna. The layout is ranked among America’s top 50 public courses by Golf Digest.

San Ignacio GC
Green Valley, Ariz.
From $57.95

Arthur Hills has never been big on length. Instead, the veteran designer relies on imaginative strategic touches to challenge golfers. At a modest 6,700 yards from the tips, San Ignacio GC fits Hills’ M.O. to a tee, while panoramic vistas of the Tumacacoris and Santa Rita Mountains provide a scenic backdrop worthy of the course’s quality.

Stuck in Lodi? There are worse places to be, especially if you’ve got your golf clubs. Micke Grove Golf Links is more than mere time-killing diversion, testing golfers with eight lakes, 42 bunkers and slick-rolling bentgrass greens. When you’re done, stop by one of the neighboring vineyards for a sip of local vino.

Choosing the finest 18 holes Jack Nicklaus has designed out west would seem a daunting task, but they did a bang-up job at Bear’s Best Las Vegas. You’ll play stunning holes “imported” from Cabo, Palm Springs, Arizona, Montana, Colorado and points between, all manicured to perfection and stamped with the Bear’s inimitable imprimatur.

John Fought and Tom Lehman teamed up to design one dramatic golf course in the foothills of the White Tank Mountains west of Phoenix. The views, as you might imagine, are spectacular. So is the service. As for the layout, well, it’s the primary reason the Raven’s been ranked the best course in Phoenix by Sports Illustrated.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: No architect working today does Florida better than Ron Garl. He got a hand here from the UK’s Howard Swan, and the pair’s combined know-how imbues Eagle Creek with the best elements of British Isles and Sunshine State golf. A great addition to the Lake Nona scene.

Andy Raugust cut his teeth working for Jack Nicklaus, and the young designer spread his wings at Deer Ridge CC. Mount Diablo looms over Raugust’s classically-styled layout, which dips and dives across hillsides and wide-open meadows. A joy for novices and serious golfers alike, Deer Ridge offers five sets of tees and a variety of challenges.

With apologies to John Lennon, we’d love to play Strawberry Farms forever. Such is the charm of this Orange County dazzler, whose every nook and cranny screams “must-play!” The rural setting is lovely and sublime, while the holes themselves form one of SoCal’s most challenging tests. The water-heavy finish of 16 — 18 is a doozy.

Golf great Billy Casper spent a lot of time in the Las Vegas area, mostly designing golf courses like Palm Valley. The 51-time PGA Tour winner was known as a deadly putter in his playing days, but he showed keen eye for golf’s other elements, too – witness Palm Valley’s elevated, view-enhancing tee boxes and carefully pitched fairways.

Johnson Ranch is really two courses in one. The front nine is a desert-golf delight tracing a broad path across the base of the San Tan foothills. The homeward half elevates the experience into a mountain setting, completing an excellent 18-hole adventure through the best of Arizona golf. Lesser-known designer Kenny Watkins must be mighty proud of this one.

Architect Joe Lee knew the Sunshine State like the back of his hand, so his description of the Palisades CC site as “the most spectacular piece of golf property I have seen in Central Florida” carries some weight. The course’s rolling terrain offers honest-to-goodness views, not to mention shot variety, while Spring Lake is an ever-present joy-slash-nuisance.

You know Lombard St. in San Francisco – the one that winds back and forth down a steep hill? SunRidge Canyon is a lot like that, only it starts on the rim of a canyon and descends to the floor. It comes back up, of course, dishing out a double dose of spectacular views and scintillating golf. Trust us, it’s more fun than navigating Lombard St.

Mesquite offers some of the most amazing terrain ever dedicated to golf, and Falcon Ridge fits perfectly with its picturesque neighbors. Some holes on the 6,550-yard course slide between red rock ridges, while others open wide across the high desert mesa. The scenery alone is worth the visit, but we suggest packing the clubs, too.

Robert Muir Graves and Damian Pascuzzo massaged an interesting, challenging course from LA’s southeast slopes. The topography is varied, the Pacific breezes nearly constant and the bunkers plentiful at Westridge, which finishes in high style on holes 16-18. A favorite local wedding spot thanks to the stellar views and meticulous landscaping.

Bruce Devlin and Robert von Hagge teamed up to design a course that’s less water-intensive than many in these parts, relying on thorough bunkering and Atlantic winds to defend par. Boca Dunes can play long at 7,094 yards, but four sets of tees and broad fairways ease its sting. There’s a nine-hole executive course on site as well.

This is no cookie-cutter Central Florida golf course. Shingle Creek owes its natural ambiance to its position at the headwaters of the Everglades. The intricate, interesting design is man-made, of course, with David Harman doing the honors. His creation blends scenery and challenge into one of Orlando’s must-play stops.

Situated 25 minutes from the Vegas Strip, Black Mountain is close enough for convenience, far enough to provide a respite from all the neon and noise. The setting takes center stage, but Black Mountain’s 27 stellar holes more than hold their own. Each nine offers a unique set of challenges, so the short trek is well rewarded.

There’s no better place for the golfer on a budget, according to the local papers, and Coldwater indeed makes a great case. Just 10 minutes west of downtown Phoenix, it’s a fun, fetching test with mountain framing and room for all types of golfers. Bombers can take on the Deep End tees (6,758 yards) while others swim in shallower waters.

What’s a beach without sand? Skylinks added 70 bunkers in 2004 to accentuate the course’s linksy flavor. Cal Olsen’s design is a longtime local favorite, from low handicappers who trudge to the 6,909-yard back tees, or juniors who march along the learning curve at 5,376 yards.