Title: Top 5 U.S. Courses For 2014

With the 2014 PGA Tour just ahead of us, there is naturally a great deal of focus on the four majors, predicting who will win at these marquee events, and perhaps even playing the betting odds on them. This is always a major point of speculation heading into a new year. For the most part the consensus seems to be that Tiger Woods will find his way back to the top following a strong (but major-less) 2013.

However, in terms of America's majors, there is actually a good deal of attention being paid to the courses, because the U.S. Open is heading back to Pinehurst, N.C. There's a great deal of intrigue surrounding the actual tournament, of course, despite there being months to go before it occurs. For what it's worth, Betfair's news section already has odds released for each player's chances to win the Open, with Tiger Woods opening as a heavy favorite with 7/1 odds. He's ahead of other strong options like Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and Justin Rose. But, again, a great deal of the early intrigue is surrounding the location.

Pinehurst is simply one of those classic courses that's always mentioned in the same breath as the greatest in the world, and which is attached to special memories of past majors. But with Pinehurst highlighting so much of the 2014 conversation, we thought we'd turn our attention to some of the other incredible courses throughout the U.S. So, based on rankings from Golf Digest, as well as our own judgment, here are the top 5 courses in the U.S. for 2014!

• Pine Valley Golf Club (NJ) - Ranked #1 by Golf Digest and other sources, this is the consensus top course in the country these days, and is simply unmatched in its design.


• Augusta National (GA) - Arguably the most famous course in the states, Augusta National is still near the top of every sensible ranking. The home of The Masters, Augusta tends to adapt and stay fresh despite its rich history.


• Shinnecock Hills (NY) - Already slated for the 2018 U.S. Open, the Shinnecock Hills course is quaint and historical in the best of ways. Although it's #4 in Golf Digest, we've bumped it up for its consistent charm.


• Cypress Point (CA) - Cypress Point, at Pebble Beach, is of course another mainstay on lists such as these. Its drawback is that it's not as challenging as some of the other courses, but its unique coastal landscape keeps it in high regard.


• Oakmont (PA) - The 2016 U.S. Open course, Oakmont is a wonderful challenge that has been adapted and renovated to the point that it's truly one of the top courses in the country.

There are no major surprises here. Yet, with these and several other golf courses always looking to innovate and compete for the top spots, it's absolutely worth taking a look back at them each year. We'll see if the Open at Pinehurst gives that classic course a boost as well!