For a century, Route 66 has been America’s great road trip: neon motels, roadside giants, pie at a diner in a town of 400 people. What it has never really been is a golf trip.
That’s strange when you think about it. Back in 2010, Golf Digest counted more than 80 golf courses along the Route 66 corridor and noted that the idea of playing your way down the Mother Road simply hadn’t occurred to many people. Sixteen years later, someone finally connected the dots. Golf Digest
Meet the Route 66 Golf Trail
The Route 66 Golf Trail officially launched April 30, 2026, at a news conference at LaFortune Park Golf Course in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It links 66 golf sites across eight states and 2,448 miles, from Chicago to Santa Monica, and its founders bill it as the longest golf trail in the world. Play one course a day and you’d still be on the road almost two months later. Route 66 Golf Trail Launches | JLT Daily Dispatch +2
It’s a Tulsa-born idea that took years to put together. Founder Gary Sparks and partner Ken Busby spent nine years getting the project off the ground, with a stated focus on getting people outdoors, active, and bringing young players into the game. Fox 23
The trail isn’t a brochure. Golfers can build a free profile on stickson66.com, track their progress, compete on leaderboards, and explore Route 66 landmarks along the way. Think of it as a passport stamp book for golfers, with a scoreboard. PR Newswire
It also carries official weight. In March, the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission designated the trail an official Centennial project, which puts it on the Centennial’s digital channels and in its national marketing for the anniversary year. The stated goals go beyond golf: steering travelers toward lesser-seen towns along the corridor, encouraging longer stays, and using golf as an anchor for heritage travel. Illinoisroute66Illinoisroute66
What the drive looks like
Take the start of the trail in Illinois. Cog Hill in Lemont has four 18-hole layouts, and its Dubsdread course is a former PGA Tour stop, a chance to play where the pros have played. We know the place well; Ultimate Long Drive has held two events there, including a World Championship. A few miles away, Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket in Willowbrook has served fried chicken on Route 66 since 1946. Golf in the morning, Americana at lunch, back on the road by afternoon. That’s the formula, repeated across Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Enjoy IllinoisEnjoy Illinois
Why now
The timing isn’t only about the anniversary. The trail arrives at a moment when golf, and golf travel in particular, is booming.
A record 48.1 million Americans played golf in 2025, on-course and off, including 29.1 million who played on a course. On-course participation has now grown for eight straight years, and rounds played hit an all-time record for the fourth time in five years. Golf Industry Facts – National Golf Foundation +2
More of those golfers are packing their clubs. Over 12 million Americans have played golf while traveling in each of the last four years, the highest levels on record, and the age group with the most golf travelers last year was 18 to 34. That’s the part that makes a road-trip golf trail make sense. Industry researchers credit YouTube golf content for pushing younger players toward trips built around the full experience, with a sharp eye on value. ForbesForbes
A cross-country drive with municipal-priced golf, vintage motels and diner pie is about as experience-and-value as travel gets. So is the trail’s format: 60-something courses, a digital profile and a leaderboard are built for a generation that tracks everything and shares the rest. The JLT Group
The road ahead
The founders describe it as a permanent trail, meaning it doesn’t expire when the Centennial ends. But 2026 is the year to go. Route 66 turns 100 on November 11, and the towns along the road will never have more reason to roll out the welcome mat. Breaking Travel News
Nobody’s going to play all 66 in one shot, and nobody has to. Pick a state. Pick a week. Throw the clubs in the trunk. The Mother Road finally has a golf course at every turn, and Traveling Golfer will be watching this one closely.
