AKRON, Ohio — Depending on your location and weather, golf season never truly ends.
If you’re a golfer planning an outing for this weekend or for next year, Golf.com released its annual list of the best public golf courses in the U.S. Fortunately for those in Ohio, one of the best golf courses in the country is located right here in the Buckeye State in Akron.
The Firestone South course at Firestone Country Club in Akron is the 53rd-best public golf course in the country, according to rankings from Golf.com. The rankings, “Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S. (2024-25),” are voted upon by 127 expert panelists who are each provided a ballot consisting of 609 courses.
Firestone South is an 18-hole course spanning 7,400 yards with a par 70. The course was designed by Bert Way in 1929, but was redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1959 ahead of hosting the 1960 PGA Championship – the first of three PGA Championships hosted there (1966, 1975).
“That overhaul turned a boilerplate Firestone employee course into the tight, tree-lined beast that has played host to more than 70 professional tournaments and three PGA Championships,” Golf.com writes about Firestone South in its rankings. “Critics say the course can be long and arduous and too many parallel fairways make it one-dimensional. They miss the point — Firestone is a classic shotmaker’s course. That’s why its list of champions is so strong — Tiger Woods won seven times here — and the course has spent more time on TV than Jennifer Aniston.”
Firestone South, which also had recent work done by Tom Fazio in 2007, also features a driving range, lodging and spa, and allows golfers to walk while playing.
However, while most courses on the list are public, Golf.com notes that Firestone Country Club is in fact semi-private, allowing for outside play under certain conditions. Golfers interested in playing Firestone can become a member or can plan a stay and play trip.
While Firestone South ranked No. 53 the list, the top 10 best golf courses you can play in the U.S., according to Golf.com, are:
1. Pebble Beach in Pebble Beach, CA
2. Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, NC
3. Pacific Dunes in Bandon, OR
4. The Lido in Rome, WI
5. Bethpage (Black) in Farmingdale, NY
6. Kiawah Island (Ocean) in Kiawah Island, SC
7. Bandon Trails in Bandon, OR
8. TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium) in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
9. Bandon Dunes in Bandon, OR
10. Whistling Straits in Sheboygan, WI
The full list from Golf.com ranking the top 100 golf courses you can plan in the U.S. can be found online.