Urban golf may seem like an oxymoron, but the truth is that most golf courses are concentrated around cities. For every far-flung masterpiece like Sand Hills, there are scores of in-the-middle-of-it-all gems like Pine Valley Golf Club, Winged Foot Golf Club and Los Angeles Country Club.

So here is a list of the 20 best golf cities in the country. For this list, we considered the quality of all courses, including private clubs, in each area. We also looked at the quantity of world-class layouts, the quality of the public courses, as well as its status as a golf destination. Also, we threw in a surprise or two.

No system is perfect, so we hope the following slideshow is a starting point for further discussion. But one thing is clear: If you're looking for great golf, head to one of these cities.

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>> No. 20: Traverse City