"America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses"
Since 1965 Golf Digest has produced biennial rankings of "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses". The courses are voted on by a panel of several hundred golf experts. Although Pine Valley Golf Club has topped the list every year except 2001, when Pebble Beach Golf Links ranked first, it was again outranked on the 2009-10 list - this time by Augusta National Golf Club. The magazine also produces lists of the best new courses, the best golf resorts and the best courses in each U.S. state. Before the "Greatest" rankings were introduced in 1985 Golf Digest produced lists called at different times America's 100 Most Testing Courses and America's 100 Greatest Tests of Golf.

The top ten on the 2009-10 list are as follows:
1. Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia
2. Pine Valley Golf Club - Pine Valley, New Jersey
3. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club - Southampton, New York
4. Cypress Point Club - Pebble Beach, California
5. Oakmont Country Club - Oakmont, Pennsylvania
6. Pebble Beach Golf Links - Pebble Beach, California
7. Merion Golf Club (East Course) - Ardmore, Pennsylvania
8. Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course) - Mamaroneck, New York
9. Fishers Island Club - Fishers Island, New York
10. Seminole Golf Club - Juno Beach, Florida

The top ten on the 2007-08 list, published in May 2007, was as follows:
1. Pine Valley Golf Club - Pine Valley, New Jersey
2. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club - Southampton, New York
3. Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia
4. Cypress Point Club - Pebble Beach, California
5. Oakmont Country Club - Oakmont, Pennsylvania
6. Pebble Beach Golf Links - Pebble Beach, California
7. Merion Golf Club (East Course) - Ardmore, Pennsylvania
8. Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course) - Mamaroneck, New York
9. Seminole Golf Club - Juno Beach, Florida
10. Crystal Downs Country Club - Frankfort, Michigan

The top ten on the 2005-06 list, published in May 2005, was as follows:
1. Pine Valley Golf Club - Pine Valley, New Jersey
2. Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia
3. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club - Southampton, New York
4. Cypress Point Club - Pebble Beach, California
5. Oakmont Country Club - Oakmont, Pennsylvania
6. Pebble Beach Golf Links - Pebble Beach, California
7. Merion Golf Club - Ardmore, Pennsylvania
8. Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course) - Mamaroneck, New York
9. National Golf Links of America - Southampton, New York
10. Seminole Golf Club - Juno Beach, Florida

"America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses"
Alongside the "100 Greatest Courses" ranking, and using the same methodology, Golf Digest publishes a list of "America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses". In this context, "public" means a golf course that is open to play by the public, as opposed to a private club—not necessarily a course operated by a governmental entity.

The top ten on the 2007-08 list, also published in May 2007, was as follows:
1. Pebble Beach Golf Links – Pebble Beach, California
2. Pacific Dunes Golf Course – Bandon, Oregon
3. Pinehurst No. 2 – Pinehurst, North Carolina
4. The Straits Course, Whistling Straits – Haven, Wisconsin
5. Bethpage Black Course – Farmingdale, New York
6. Shadow Creek Golf Course – North Las Vegas, Nevada
7. Bandon Dunes Golf Course – Bandon, Oregon
8. The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island – Kiawah Island, South Carolina
9. Prince Golf Course – Princeville, Hawaiʻi
10. Arcadia Bluffs Golf Course – Arcadia, Michigan

Of these courses, the only one that is operated by a governmental entity is Bethpage Black.
In addition to its national rankings, Golf Digest also ranks courses at a state level. For example, in a 1998 survey of Connecticut Public Golf Courses Golf Digest ranked Crestbrook Park Golf Course as one of Connecticut's top public golf courses.

"100 Best Golf Courses Outside the United States"
The magazine also compiles a list of the leading courses outside the United States. This is created using information from national golf associations, plus votes by the same panelists supplemented by some additional ones with international knowledge.

In 2007 the most represented countries were Scotland with fourteen courses in the top 100, Canada with ten, England with ten, Canada with nine, and Australia and Republic of Ireland with eight. The top 10 were:
1. Royal County Down Golf Club - Newcastle, Northern Ireland
2. Old Course at St Andrews - St. Andrews, Scotland
3. Royal Dornoch Golf Club (Championship Course) - Dornoch, Scotland
4. Royal Portrush Golf Club (Dunluce Course) - Portrush, Northern Ireland
5. Muirfield - Gullane, Scotland
6. Royal Melbourne Golf Club (Composite Course) - Melbourne, Australia
7. Ballybunion Golf Club (Old Course) - Ballybunion, Ireland
8. Turnberry (Ailsa Course) - Ayrshire, Scotland
9. Carnoustie Golf Links - Carnoustie, Scotland
10. Cape Kidnappers Golf Course - Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

In 2005 the most represented countries were Scotland and Canada with thirteen courses each in the top 100. The top 10 were:
1. Old Course at St Andrews - St. Andrews, Scotland
2. Royal Melbourne Golf Club - Melbourne, Australia
3. Royal Portrush Golf Club - Portrush, Northern Ireland
4. Royal County Down Golf Club - Newcastle, Northern Ireland
5. Royal Dornoch Golf Club - Dornoch, Scotland
6. Muirfield - Gullane, Scotland
7. Ballybunion Golf Club - Ballybunion, Ireland
8. New South Wales Golf Club - Sydney, Australia
9. National Golf Club - Woodbridge, Canada
10. St. George's Golf and Country Club - Toronto, Canada