The best public-access and private courses in Massachusetts, ranked

Looking to play the best golf courses in Massachusetts? Welcome to our annual Golfweek’s Best ranking of public-access and private courses.

Following are the rankings for both types of courses, as judged by our nationwide network of raters. The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce all our Golfweek’s Best course rankings.

The courses on the first list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time – no membership required.

KEY: (m) modern, built in 1960 or after; (c) classic, built before 1960. For courses with a number preceding the (m) or (c), that is where the course ranks on Golfweek’s Best lists for top 200 modern and classic courses in the U.S.

* indicates new or returning to the rankings

Best public-access courses in Massachusetts

Miacomet in Massachusetts (Courtesy of Miacomet)

1. Cape Cod National
Brewster (m)

2. Miacomet
Nantucket (m)

3. Farm Neck
Oak Bluffs (m)

4. Red Tail
Devens (m)

5. The Ranch
Southwick (m)

6. Crumpin-Fox
Bernardston (m)

7. George Wright Municipal
Boston (c)

T8. Cranberry Valley Golf Course*
Harwich (m)

T8. Pinehills (Nicklaus)
Plymouth (m)

10. Granite Links
Quincy (m)

Best private courses in Massachusetts

The Kittansett Club in Massachusetts (USGA/Fred Vuich)

1. The Country Club (Composite)
Brookline (24)

2. Myopia Hunt Club
Hamilton (T31c)

3. Eastward Ho!
Chatham (40c)

4. Essex
Manchester-by-the-Sea (42c)

5. Old Sandwich
Plymouth (29m)

6. Boston GC
Hingham (33m)

7. Kittansett Club
Marion (52c)

8. Sankaty Head
Siasconset (T89c)

9. Salem CC
Peabody (91c)

10. Whitinsville GC
Whitinsville (T92c)

11. Winchester CC
Winchester (T122c)

12. Taconic
Williamstown (T128c)

13. Worcester CC
Worcester (T138c)

14. Nantucket GC
Siaconsett (T167m)

T15. Charles River*
Newton Centre (T149c)

T15. Hyannisport Club
Hyannis Port (T149c)