There are 112 ranked courses in the database. There are thousands more community creations. You do not have time to play them all.
Here is the bucket list. These are the courses that define sim golf. The ones that make you forget you are standing in a garage. The ones that produce shots you will remember longer than your last actual round of real golf.
1. Pebble Beach Golf Links (Best on Trackman)
This is the single most important course in sim golf. It is the course every new sim golfer plays first. It is the course that friends ask to play when you show off your setup. It is the course that makes the case for sim golf better than any other.
The ocean holes on the back nine — 7, 8, 9, 10 — are the most dramatic stretch in sim golf. The 7th is a 109-yard par-3 over the Pacific. The 8th doglegs along the cliffs. The 9th plays uphill to a green that sits against the ocean. The 10th is a 450-yard par-4 that hugs the coastline all the way.
The best version is on Trackman, where the LIDAR data and physics engine combine to create the most accurate sim experience. The best value version is on GSPro, where the community recreation is 90% as good at a fraction of the cost.
Read the full comparison: Pebble Beach on GSPro vs E6 vs TGC 2019.
2. Augusta National (GSPro Only)
Augusta National is the most-wanted course in sim golf that no platform licenses. The only way to play it is through community recreations on GSPro or TGC 2019.
The GSPro version by CrazyCanuck is the best. Amen Corner plays correctly. The 12th hole is the terrifying par-3 over Rae’s Creek. The 13th is the reachable par-5 with the creek down the left. The 16th is the par-3 where you play the bank shot into the Sunday pin.
The visual experience is not the real Augusta — no sim can replicate that — but the shot values, the green complexes, and the elevation changes are accurate enough that you will feel the pressure when you stand over a 10-foot putt on 18 with the TV broadcast in your head.
3. St Andrews Old Course (Best on GOLFZON Wave)
The Old Course is the home of golf. Every sim golfer needs to play it at least once. The best sim version depends on what you value.
The most authentic ground game experience is on GOLFZON Wave. The 20-year physics engine handles the bump-and-run shots that define links golf. The double greens break correctly. The Valley of Sin collects balls that land short of the 18th green.
The most accurate LIDAR data is on Trackman. The best value version is on GSPro.
Read the full comparison: St Andrews on GSPro vs E6 vs TGC 2019.
4. TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Course) — Best on Any Platform
The 17th hole at Sawgrass is the most famous single shot in sim golf. It is the hole you show non-golfers to explain why sim golf is fun. It is the hole that makes everyone — including scratch golfers — nervous.
The GOLFZON Wave version has the most accurate 17th green slope. The Trackman version has the best full-course accuracy. The GSPro version is excellent for the price.
But honestly, Sawgrass on any platform is worth playing. The 17th is the draw, but the 18th is the test. A 462-yard par-4 with water left and bunkers right, the finishing hole of Sawgrass simulates the pressure of the Players Championship better than any other hole in sim golf.
5. Pine Valley (GSPro — The Unicorn)
Pine Valley is the most-searched-for private course after Augusta. It is the #1 ranked course in the world on many lists. And it is on exactly zero licensed simulator platforms.
The only way to play Pine Valley is on GSPro. The community recreation is built from the same public data sources as the Augusta version. The course is a brute — narrow fairways, deep bunkers, waste areas, and greens that reject anything short of a perfect approach.
Pine Valley in sim golf is a test of shot-making. The course does not have a single easy hole. Every tee shot demands a decision. Every approach shot demands execution. It is the course that sim golfers play when they want to know if they are actually good.
6. Cypress Point (GSPro — Another Unicorn)
Cypress Point is the most exclusive course in America. It is also on GSPro through community recreation. The course is a masterpiece — the ocean holes on the back nine are the best stretch of coastal golf in the world.
The 16th hole at Cypress Point is a 231-yard par-3 that plays over the Pacific Ocean. In sim golf, it is the most dramatic single shot on any community course. The carry is all over water. The green is small. The wind matters. It is the hole that GSPro owners brag about to their friends.
7. Bandon Dunes — The Full Rotation
Bandon Dunes is not one course. It is five. Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Old Macdonald, and Sheep Ranch. Every single one is available on GSPro and most are on GOLFZON Wave.
The Bandon Dunes property is the best sim golf destination in the world. You can play all five courses in a weekend without leaving your garage. The wind modeling on GOLFZON Wave makes each course play differently depending on conditions. The visual variety — ocean views, dune ridges, forest holes, prairies — is unmatched by any other golf property.
Play Pacific Dunes first. It is the best course of the five in sim golf.
8. Royal County Down (GSPro — Best Links in the World)
Royal County Down is ranked #1 in the world by many publications. The course is a blind-shot, dunes-hugging, wind-battered masterpiece on the coast of Northern Ireland.
The GSPro version (search “DPC County Down” in the GSPro database) is the best sim version of any links course. The blind shots play correctly — you aim at the marker pole and trust the designer. The fescue rough is penal. The wind is constant.
Royal County Down in sim golf is not for beginners. The course is hard. The blind shots are frustrating. The greens are small and firm. But it is the best links sim experience available on any platform.
9. Whistling Straits (Best on Trackman)
Whistling Straits on Lake Michigan is the most visually dramatic Pete Dye course in sim golf. The course has 1,000 bunkers, fescue-covered dunes, and a closing stretch that hosted the 2020 Ryder Cup.
The best version is on Trackman, where the LIDAR data captures every bunker and the physics engine makes the wind play a real factor. The GSPro version is also excellent.
The 18th hole is the best finishing hole in sim golf. A 520-yard par-5 along the lake with bunkers everywhere, the decision to go for the green in two depends entirely on the wind. No two plays are the same.
10. Kapalua Plantation (Best on GSPro)
The Plantation Course at Kapalua is the most visually dramatic resort course in sim golf. The 18th hole — a 677-yard par-5 that drops 150 feet from tee to fairway — is the most spectacular single hole in sim golf.
The GSPro version is the most popular. The downhill tee shot is rendered with accurate elevation data. The drive rolls forever. The second shot plays uphill with the Pacific Ocean in the background.
Sit back and play it annually to kick off the year. It is the Masters, but it is the one course everyone loads up in January because the PGA Tour is playing it in real life.
11. Wolf Creek (Best on GSPro)
Wolf Creek is the most visually wild course in sim golf. The desert course outside Las Vegas features extreme elevation changes, forced carries over canyons, and greens that sit 100 feet below the tees.
The GSPro version is the best. The course is a visual spectacle that makes you question your yardages constantly. A 380-yard par-4 plays 280 yards downhill. A 160-yard par-3 plays 200 yards uphill. The course is not realistic golf — it is a video game course that happens to exist in real life.
Play it when you want to have fun. Do not play it when you want serious sim golf.
12. TPC Scottsdale (Best on Any Platform)
The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale is the loudest hole in golf. In sim version, it is quiet, but the stadium setup makes the par-3 feel like the most important shot of your life.
The GSPro version is the most accessible. The Trackman version has the best accuracy. The course is a desert parkland design that rewards aggressive driving and precision approaches.
The 18th hole — a 451-yard par-4 with water down the right and a green that sits against a stadium — is one of the best finishing holes in sim golf.
The Bucket List Verdict
If you could only play 12 courses in sim golf for the rest of your life, these are the 12. They cover every type of golf — links, parkland, desert, ocean, public, private, major championship, and video game spectacle.
The best platform for this bucket list is GSPro. It has 11 of the 12 courses (missing only the Trackman-exclusive LIDAR data, but the accuracy is still excellent). At $250/yr, it is the most cost-effective way to play every course a sim golfer needs to play.
FAQ
What is the best platform for bucket list courses?
GSPro has the largest collection of bucket-list courses including community versions of Augusta National, Pine Valley, and Cypress Point that no other platform offers. Read the best courses on GSPro guide.
Can I play Pine Valley on a golf simulator?
Yes, on GSPro and TGC 2019 as community recreations. Pine Valley is not available on any licensed platform.
What is the most dramatic hole in sim golf?
The 16th at Cypress Point (GSPro) — a 231-yard par-3 over the Pacific. The 17th at TPC Sawgrass is second. The 18th at Whistling Straits is third.
How many courses should I play before I need more variety?
These 12 courses cover every type of golf. After playing them, add the best courses from your platform. GSPro users should check the best courses on GSPro guide. E6 users should check the best courses on E6 guide. GOLFZON Wave users should check the best courses on GOLFZON guide.
What is the best platform for links golf in sim?
GSPro has the widest collection of links courses — Royal County Down, St Andrews, Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Old Macdonald, Sheep Ranch, Royal Portrush. GOLFZON Wave has the best ground game physics for links play.