Bay Harbor is the rare Top 100 US golf course at a ski resort—and probably the best ski resort golf course in the nation.Evan Schiller PhotographySummer officially began at 4:24 EDT this morning and today will feature the longest daylight of the year. That means we are about as far away from ski season as we can get, but there is still a great reason to pack your bags and head to a ski resort—for golf. Many North American ski resorts have excellent golf, and it tends to be in gorgeous, natural mountain settings with epic scenery. But there are several other reasons to consider visiting one of the best golf courses at a ski resort, including surprisingly great values.The Best Golf Courses At U.S. Ski ResortsWhy Ski Resort Golf?Nature, scenery and natural beauty are a big part of the equation. But the real secret is that unlike standalone golf courses or resorts that need to squeeze every last dollar out of guests to stay in business, golf at ski resorts is usually ancillary to the core business, helps them subsidize year round staff and overhead, and in many cases is a relative bargain for its quality. The best golf at ski resorts is all about natural beauty, like the courses at Wintergreen, VA, carved from the forests of the Blue Ridge Mountains.Ben BlankenburgLodging at ski resorts is also off-season in summer, meaning sometimes hefty discounts versus many non-ski golf resorts where summer is high season. There are almost always a variety of restaurants onsite and lots of extracurricular activities, from mountain biking and hiking to fly fishing and world-class tennis to scenic gondola and chairlift rides, and in one memorable case, a unique aerial “skybridge” attraction. Some of the bigger resorts even have dedicated golf schools and academies.MORE FOR YOU"Some of my favorite resort golf in America is found at ski resorts,” leading golf travel expert Jason Scott Deegan told me. Deegan, longtime managing editor of GolfPass.com and before that, for NBC’s Golf Channel digital, has played more than 1,200 courses in 28 countries. “The hills and mountains of Colorado, northern Michigan and the area surrounding Lake Tahoe in California are some of the country's most beautiful places. Playing golf in these types of environments amplifies the experience." Why Not Ski Resort Golf?There are two caveats: First, some places are golf resorts with skiing rather than ski resorts with golf, skewing more summer centric, and at these the value proposition no longer comes into play, since summer remains peak season. Still, a couple of these spots, like Nemacolin Resort, Red Sky Ranch and Crystal Springs, made my list anyway because the golf and resort amenities are so great. But the biggest problem that keeps almost all the biggest and most famous names in American ski resorts off this list is the often low quality of “afterthought” courses. In many cases, especially in the 1980s, as the focus of the ski business transitioned from selling lift tickets to selling real estate, big resorts realized that they “had to” have golf to stay relevant outside ski season. Because golf was a later addition to many ski resorts, and considered a mere amenity, many mountain courses are poorly designed or on ill-chosen sites, especially those that run across the slopes rather than up, down or in valleys. This tends to produce crazy and unpredictable bounces and lower quality golf. Some are laid out along resort access roads, which defeats the purpose of gorgeous scenery. There are a surprisingly high number of weak ski resort courses, and many better golf operations tend to be at smaller market ski hills, so my focus is on the best golf courses at ski resorts, regardless of the size of the ski operations.Best Golf Courses: The A-ListThere are around 15,000 golf courses in the United States, but according to Golfpass.com, only about 800 golf resorts and of these, only 38 with golf and skiing (though I think this misses a few smaller ski operations). But this list gets much, much shorter when you look for ski resorts with more than one course, and only a tiny handful have more than two. It takes more than one course in my book to be a legitimate destination golf resort worth a special trip, and these are the ski resorts with multiple best golf courses.Boyne Golf, MIThe 800-pound gorilla of ski resort golf, Boyne is by far the nation’s pre-eminent example and the top choice. National golf and ski operator Boyne Resorts is a privately owned family company based in Boyne, MI, around which it has three clusters of golf at two of the Midwest’s highest profile ski resorts, Boyne Mountain and Highlands Harbor Springs. These all share facilities, so you can stay at any of the hotels. lodges or condos and play all ten (or eleven) Boyne Golf Michigan courses interchangeably.Boyne Golf has ten standout ski resort courses in Michigan, including the Monument at Boyne Mountain resort, shown here.Nile Young for BOYNE GolfWith 171 holes, Boyne’s smorgasbord is second (barely) in the nation only to Pinehurst, America’s largest golf resort. USA Today rated Boyne Golf as the Best Golf Destination in the United States, no small praise, while Golf Magazine named it the best place in the country to play unlimited golf for three days. Travel + Leisure Magazine named Boyne’s Bay Harbor the Most Underrated Resort in the Midwest, and Golf Digest rated Bay Harbor in its vaunted Top 100 Public Courses—something very few on this list have accomplished. Golfpass.com also rated it the Number One Golf and Ski Resort in the nation. I wrote in much more detail about this wonderful place to play golf in the Midwest here at Forbes.The highlight of the collection, 27-hole Bay Harbor, is probably the single best golf course at a ski resort in the United States, and the only coastal example I know of, strung out along one of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan, so vast it might as well be the Pacific in terms of views from the clifftop holes. Arthur Hills was one of the best known architects in golf with more than 200 designs, and this is considered his best. It has Boyne’s most luxurious lodging, the Inn at Bay Harbor, the upscale Vintage Chophouse, and a second eighteen, Crooked Tree Golf Club. SkyBridge Michigan at Boyne Mountain is one of the top tourist attractions in the Midwest and just adds to the golf fun.BRW@MAC.COMNearby Boyne Mountain has two more eighteens, Alpine and Monument, which play more up and down then across the slopes, avoiding the wacky off-kilter failing of so many mountain courses. Highlands has four eighteens and a new -par-3 short course, including a personal favorite of mine, notable as the world’s very first “tribute” course. The Donald Ross Memorial Course replicates famous holes by one of the greatest architects of all time, including Pinehurst Number Two and otherwise ultra-private clubs such as Seminole and Oakland Hills. The Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed Heather (which just hosted the Epson Tour) is the other highly rated layout here, and if you played Bay Harbor, Ross and Heather you would have a world-class trip, but all the courses are rock solid in terms of quality, while lodging and food at Boyne is extremely varied and quite reasonably priced. If Highlands were the only Boyne property it would still be the second most golf at a ski resort in the U.S. and one of the largest golf resorts period. Highlands also has the Boyne Golf Academy, with various options for immersion camps and has won multiple Golf Digest awards as one of America’s top golf academies—for four decades. There are lots of other activities, including charter big game fishing on Lake Michigan, fly fishing with onsite Boyne Outfitters in the footsteps of onetime local resident Ernest Hemingway, and Boyne Mountain is also home to one of the Midwest’s most popular tourist attractions (and social media spots), the stunning scenic pedestrian SkyBridge Michigan, the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge, complete with glass floor panels, over a deep gorge. Wintergreen Resort, VAAn easy drive from the Washington, DC metro area makes Wintergreen one of the more accessible options in the genre, within three hours of millions of people. 45-holes immediately puts Wintergreen in elite company in terms of the size of its golf offerings, but they are also top notch in quality. This is in part due to a stunning setting in one of America’s most acclaimed outdoor spots, the Blue Ridge Mountains. Devil’s Knob is the highest course in Virginia and a private club open only to members and Wintergreen Resort guests, keeping crowds down and conditions up, while 27-hole Stoney Creek is a public design by acclaimed architect and “U.S. Open Doctor” Rees Jones, which can be played as three different eighteens during a single stay. Wintergreen has very reasonable greens fees and a dedicated golf academy with one-day schools, player assessments and daily clinics. The best ski resorts offer more than just great golf, like Wintergreen with world class tennis, hiking and watersports.Wintergreen ResortWintergeen also has a massive racquet sports collection with 16 clay courts, three hard courts and 14 pickleball courts, making it a Tennis Magazine Top 50 destination for nearly two decades. The Blue Ridge region is famous for its hiking and biking, and Wintergreen has both, with miles of its own trails connecting to endless options beyond the resort. A 20-acre lake offers swimming, beach and watersports, there is fly fishing, a state of the art aquatic and fitness center, and a huge array of activities for children, making this an extremely family friendly choice. Lodging options include hotel rooms, condos and rental homes, there’s a large spa, plus seven food and beverage outlets and much more. It’s one of the biggest golf resorts on the East Coast yet remains a bit of a hidden gem.As a bonus, Wintergreen’s southern setting gives it the longest golf season on this list, deep into fall.Keystone, COGolf at ski resorts is just not like golf in other places. This is Keystone, CO.© Kathleen YoungIf you want to feel like a big hitter, head to Keystone. At around 9300 feet, both its courses are among the very highest in the U.S and the highest on this list, with the ball traveling noticeably further in the thinner air. You’ll feel super-powered off the tee, but club selection may become your superhero weakness.A core member of Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass program, Keystone is a famously family friendly resort that is one of the closest to Denver and by far the biggest U.S. ski area on the A-List—especially after a major bowl expansion just a few years ago. I wrote about the upgraded Keystone ski resort here at Forbes, and now it is back in the news with the opening last month of Kindred, its first ever luxury hotel, a big ski-in/out addition at its main base area that is one of then biggest hotel happenings in the industry—and now a great new place to stay for a first class golf trip.What’s not new is the longstanding reputation for two of the best public access courses in the Rockies, Keystone Ranch by Robert Trent Jones, Jr, and the River Course by Hurdzan & Fry. Golf Digest says, “Keystone Ranch is one of the best courses in Colorado” and Colorado Avid Golfer magazine recently wrote a story titled “Keystone is a Golfer’s Delight” and noted that “Keystone’s two golf courses present the perfect pair of beauty and adventure in a cool mountain climate.” I’ve played them both and this is absolutely spot on. As a bonus, Keystone Ranch has long been the signature fine dining restaurant at the resort and is worth a special trip, while all guests in resort lodging can benefit from discounted stay and play packages.Nemacolin Resort, PANemacolin has more Forbes Stars than any golf resort in the country, 27, including the 5-Star Chateau, inspired by the iconic Ritz Paris. Oh and two Pete Dye golf courses. Nemacolin It’s not much of a ski area, but it is an unbelievable resort—with more Forbes stars than any other golf resort in this country, 27 in all (and the most of any resort period if you don’t combine the two Wynn hotels in Vegas into one property). That includes two 5-Star hotels, a 4-Star hotel, 4-Star spa, 5-Star restaurant and 4-Star restaurant. The biggest wine list in Pennsylvania annually wins the industry’s highest and rarest honor, Wine Spectator’s Grand Award of Excellence. Nemacolin was a billionaire’s dream (84 Lumber chain founder Joseph Hardy III) and no expense was spared to turn it into a 2200-acre fantasy land of fun and hospitality. There are more butlers than you can imagine, amenities ranging from a recently upgraded full casino to fly fishing, off road driving and clay shooting center. There’s a waterpark, bowling, axe throwing, an antique car museum, an art museum with over 1000 pieces, art studios with classes, outdoor sculpture gardens, formal gardens, cigar lounge and more. Most unusual is the rescued wildlife center with around 200 rare, rehomed animals, like a white tiger, many wandering around outdoor enclosures, which explains why you sometimes hear lions roaring while playing golf.The Pete Dye designed Mystic Rock at Nemacolin is one of the very few ski resort courses ranked in the US Top 100 and for years hosted a PGA Tour event.Evan Schiller for NemacolinAh, the golf. That would be two eighteens by Pete Dye, including the marquee Mystic Rock, a longtime PGA Tour venue that is in the U.S. Top 100. A recent half-billion dollar (yes) resort upgrade included the construction of an all new state of the art golf academy and teaching center. On the courses Nemacolin is a top golf destination, but off the fairways it’s one of the world’s greatest luxury resorts. However, this is an exception to the seasonal ski resort rule, where summer is high season, so don’t expect any bargains, just first class everything. I wrote in detail here at Forbes about just what an unheard of half-billion dollar renovation looks like in the hotel industry. Crystal Springs, NJLikely the nation’s largest golf resort that many golfers have never heard of, Crystal Springs is equally off the radar as a ski destination. But for golf it absolutely delivers the goods and has one massive advantage over all of its peers: it is less than an hour from New York City, within a region that has more than 20 million people and an infamous lack of quality public golf. Second on this list only to Boyne, MI in girth, it has six courses, four eighteens and two nines, plus a grass putting course. Links-style Ballyowen by Roger Rulewich is the highest ranked public course in all of New Jersey by both Golf Digest and GolfWeek, sort of the East Coast answer to Whistling Straits. Robert Von Hagge’s Crystal Springs is a GolfWeek NJ Top 10 and Rulewich’s Wild Turkey just missed out (and NJ has a lot of golf). These are standout resort courses, all the more so for where they are found, and Crystal Springs also boasts an immersion golf academy by legendary teaching guru David Leadbetter.Ballyowen at Crystal Springs is ranked the Number One Course You Can Play in New Jersey.Crystal Springs ResortIt’s a sprawling resort comprised of non-contiguous parts, so a rental car is handy. There are two main full-service resort hotels, the fancier of which is the Grand Cascades Lodge, but both have large spas and pool complexes, and the resort just opened a new state-of-the-art fitness center. Like Nemacolin above, it has a fine dining French eatery that wins the rare Wine Spectator Grand Award of Excellence, except that while Nemacolin has the state’s largest cellar, Crystal Springs has the nation’s second largest—and biggest of any golf resort, period. Things to do? Besides golf there is fishing, hiking, stargazing, croquet, crafts classes, fitness classes, clay shooting, axe throwing, archery, pickleball and even rock climbing. I dove deeper into “America’s Biggest Hidden Gem Golf Resort,” here at Forbes.Sun Valley, IDOne of three courses at Sun Valley, White Clouds is unbelievably scenic.Sun Valley Resort/Tim SalisburyHaving just celebrated its 80th birthday, Sun Valley was the nation’s first destination ski resort, and as such, much of the golf was built on ultra-prime real estate at the base of the slopes, something that would likely never happen to such prime ski-in/out real estate today. Trail Creek is a classic Robert Trent Jones, Sr. design that crosses its namesake creek seven times, with omnipresent mountain views. The oldest course, Elkhorn, is a father son effort with the front nine by Jones, Sr. and the back by his son Robert Trent Jones II. White Clouds is the newest, a modern—and stunning—full sized 9-hole course set high up on slopes opposite the ski resort, with drop dead panoramic views, one of the top 9-hole layouts I have ever played.Sun Valley is a world-class luxury resort with a lot of history, a lot of amenities, a wide variety of lodging including luxury, and the adjacent town of Ketchum full of great shops, restaurants and bars. Unlike many ski towns it has a vibrant year round community that makes it feel more special in summer. It is yet another place where you can enjoy summer in the footsteps of longtime local resident Ernest Hemingway, and I have written in more detail about Sun Valley and its charms here at Forbes. Lodge at Spruce Peak, Stowe, VTStowe is the quintessential ski town in the Eastern U.S., and the luxury Lodge at Spruce Peak is its only ski-in/out property. But in summer it has something even more important—exclusive guest access to two otherwise private courses right outside the door. The newer Mountain Course, a Bob Cupp design with sweeping views, thick forests and rock outcroppings, is one of the most coveted tee times in the Green Mountain State, while Stowe Country Club just completed a two-year total renovation by Beau Welling, the first by a big name architect in Vermont in a very long time.The Mountain Course at Spruce Peak is one of two private club courses accessible only to non-members staying at the luxurious Lodge at Spruce Peak.Lodge at StoweThe Lodge is a wonderful luxury hotel that is also very pet friendly and anchors a pedestrianized village with shops, restaurants, a performing arts center that draws big name acts, and another Vermont highlight, a tasting pavilion by WhistlePig whiskey, the most collectible ryes in the country, complete with rare, limited editions, craft cocktails and slow smoked barbecue. Alas, Stowe is one of the rare ski towns that is busier in summer than winter so don’t expect deals.There are scenic chairlift rides, an auto toll road to the top of Vermont’s highest peak, a fantastic recreation trail, hiking right out the door, and an awesome town with every activity imaginable, all kinds of great food and eclectic shopping. Stowe is also home to producers of craft cheese, cider and several breweries, including Alchemist, one of the highest rated on the planet. This offers a very turnkey and easy country escape, five hours from New York City (and 3.5 from Boston).Red Sky Ranch, Wolcott, CORed Sky Ranch is a stunning 36-hole semi-private facility in the Colorado Rockies.Vail ResortsI was on the fence about whether this 36-hole facility is really ski resort golf. It is part of giant Vail Resorts and located near both its Beaver Creek and flagship Vail resorts, the latter being the most popular ski destination in the country. Since it is a private club affiliated only with partner hotels at its parent company’s ski resorts, it made the cut. The two Red Sky Ranch courses are both outstanding, ultra-dramatic mountain layouts with enormous elevation charges, and both by marquee designers, Tom Fazio and Greg Norman. The Norman course is one of three on this A-List to have cracked Golf Digest’s Top 100 U.S. Everything about the facility is first rate, and to play these gems you need to book a stay and play package with any one of 36 lodging partners in Vail or Beaver Creek, which include both basic condos and all the top luxury spots such as the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, Four Seasons Vail, the Sonnenalp, Solaris and Arrabelle in Vail, Westin Riverfront and Park Hyatt Beaver Creek. It is off season for lodging at these ski resorts, but tee times at Red Sky Ranch will be peak prices.Crystal Mountain, MIThis family ski resort lies southwest of Traverse City and has two eighteens, which offer a nice variety of challenge, on Mountain Ridge with its more dramatic elevation changes and the more user friendly, playable Betsie Valley with its flatter tree lined fairways. Betsie underwent a major renovation just a few years ago, while Mountain Ridge was the Michigan Golf Course Association 2025 Course of the Year and annually hosts the Michigan PGA Women’s Open. Crystal Mountain also has a learning center with dedicated 10-acre practice facility hosting 1-3 day golf schools and multi-day women’s golf schools. There’s a full spa and accommodations range from hotel rooms to cottages, bungalows and townhomes. Best Single Golf Courses at Ski Resorts: The B List You don’t always need multiple courses to enjoy a quick summer golf escape, and many of the best golf courses are at ski resorts with just one layout, and I wouldn’t want to leave these out—especially since all these resorts have so much more to do.Sugarloaf, MaineSummer is a great time to play golf in New England but don't overlook the stunning fall foliage season at places like Maine's highly rated Sugarloaf Golf Club.Jamie Walter for Sugarloaf Golf ClubGolfpass.com has it at number two among all golf and ski resorts of every size, just behind massive Boyne, despite having only one course. But that one course, Sugarloaf Golf Club, is also one of the few publics in the Northeast to have made Golf Digest’s Top 100, a Robert Trent Jones II classic with drop dead views on nearly every hole, carved from a gorgeous wilderness teeming with moose and other wildlife. I recently featured Sugarloaf and the next two on this list, Jay Peak and Sunday River, as New England’s best here at Forbes, so check that out for much more detail.Jay Peak, VermontJay Peak famously gets the most snow in Vermont, and this past winter, among the most now in the world. Its reputation for excellent snowfall is so well-earned that it often overshadows other aspects of the resort, like it massive indoor waterpark, unrivalled in the region, its full NHL-sized year round indoor hockey facility, or its exquisite golf course, laid out around the mountain rather than across it, with each hole singularly carved from the wilderness. Designed by acclaimed Canadian architect Graham Cooke it’s just a joy to play, especially in foliage season (Vermont is famous for the best foliage viewing in the world) and you can read much more about it in the link above under Sugarloaf. Jay Peak has the most impressive golf course of any Vermont ski resort, with no real estate and each hole isolated.Jay Peak ResortSunday River, MaineThis sister resort to Sugarloaf also has a Robert Trent Jones II layout and a lot of similarities, though it is less challenging and more player friendly. The Sunday River course is a much more amenitized resort with a lot of lodging and dining options, and again you can read much more about it in the link above under Sugarloaf. Big Sky, MontanaBig Sky has been the hottest ski resort in the nation for the past several years. It is the second largest in the U.S. and has seen more than a decade of massive reinvestment and now boasts the most modern lift network in North America, new luxury hotels including the only One & Only ski resort property on earth, and is renowned for its world-class fly fishing on ultra-famous rivers. This past winter they added an amenity unlike any in the country, which can also be enjoyed in summer, Kircliff, an alpine summit observatory atop Lone Peak at 11,166 feet that is reached by an equally scenic ride in the resort’s new state of the tram, one of very few in the U.S. (and the newest). Kircliff is a stunning glass architectural marvel cantilevered off the mountain's edge with jaw-dropping 360-degree views across three states and two national parks and marks the first time in the resort’s 52-year history the legendary views from Lone Peak will be offered to non-skiing and summer visitors, and I expect this will become a major year-round tourism attraction.Ski resort golf is more than just golf at top resorts. Big Sky, MT just opened a one of a kind scenic attraction, the new Kircliff glass observation deck, unlike anything in America.Big Sky ResortThe golf course is less famous but takes full advantage of the amazingly dramatic mountain setting and “Big Sky” views. Lone Peak, “America’s Matterhorn” is a visual highlight, as is the Gallatin River, famous among anglers. It also occupies a unique place in golf history as legend Arnold Palmer’s very first design. Set on a flattish piece of land below the skiing it avoids the pitfalls of many mountain courses while still capturing all the ambiance, and Golfpass has it 8th in the nation, one of the highest single course ski resorts.Northstar California, CAAnother part of giant Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass network, Northstar California is the most luxurious ski resort in Lake Tahoe, anchored by a fantastic mid-mountain Ritz-Carlton hotel. It’s not the best course in golf-mad Tahoe, but it’s the best combo of golf and ski resort and makes for a good homebase in this beautiful area. It makes the Golfpass.com Top 20 ski resort courses, and reviewers wrote that “Northstar California Golf Course has a unique layout that was seamlessly integrated with the rugged, wooded terrain of Tahoe. The front nine plays through a scenic, rolling valley while the back nine plays through the towering pines of the forest. The first nine holes have a classic links layout and the back nine demands precision with its tree-lined fairways and small greens.”This summer (or fall) if you want to experience great golf in a beautiful setting with lots of other activities, amenities and often at great values, consider a visit to one of the best golf courses at a ski resort in the United States.