In America, the popularity of golf has reached an all-time high. There are now more than 30 million golfers and 20,000 courses. This month, the world's eyes will be on Augusta in Georgia, where the top golfers will compete in the Masters. It is one of the four major championships in men's golf and is always held at Augusta.

So, what makes the Augusta National Golf Club special? Designed by Bobby Jones, each hole is named after a tree or shrub. And as the Masters is held in spring, the plants that line the fairways are all in full bloom. Most famous is the "the big oak tree", which is around 150 years old and flanks the clubhouse.

Another famous tree is known as the Eisenhower Tree. The tree, at the 17th hotel, was the nemesis of President Dwight D Eisenhower. He hit the tree so many times that he unsuccessfully argued it be chopped down. The best-known holes at Augusta are the 11th, 12th and 13th holes, which are called "Amen Corner" and have been the undoing of many players. Club members include Bill Gates of Microsoft, billionaire Warren Buffet and Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric.

Synonymous with the club and its championship tournament is the "green jacket" worn by every member. Every year, the winner of the Masters is awarded a membership jacket by the previous winner. This "green jacket" is only ever worn on club grounds, but a winner may wear his jacket off-grounds for the year after his win, but it then hangs in the clubhouse.

Augusta may be the most famous course in the USA, but the title of best course is usually awarded to the lesser-known Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey. Set among acres of pine forests, sand hills and wetlands, it is regularly ranked the number one course by Golf Digest magazine.

George Crup designed a course where golfers have to use every club. The result was a collection of par five and par three holes which are recognised as the best in the world. Pine Valley's trademark holes include "Hell's half acre", the 7th hole, and "the devil's asshole", an extremely deep bunker on the 10th hole. The course has never hosted a major championship because the layout leaves little room for spectators, but most golfers agree that there is no course to touch it in the States - it is number one.

The course that probably comes closest is the far better known Pebble Beach Golf Links. It has been dubbed "the greatest meeting of land, sea and sky in the world". It nestles in the Delmonte Forest next to the ocean between Pacific Grove and Carmel, and boasts great ocean views from its greens and fairways. It is also a magnet for wildlife, with deer grazing on the fairways, otters lolling in the coves, whales spouting in the ocean and seals and pelicans watching from little islands and rock outcrops.

Pebble Beach's fame probably comes from the memories of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Tom Watson recording magical wins on its fairways. The course has hosted the US Open four times and it was the venue for the 1977 PGA Championship. It will host the US Open again in 2010. Unlike many of the other famous private US golf clubs, Pebble Beach is open to the public. But non-members pay some of the highest fees at $450 per round, excluding taxes and the cost of a golf cart. And you might still have to wait up to a year for the prime tee times.

The course's signature hole is the 7th, one of the most photographed greens. A par three with a tiny green which seems to jut out into the ocean, it stretches only 106 yards. Perhaps the greatest accolade the course has received was this quote from Jack Nicklaus: "If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach. I've loved this course from the first time I saw it. It's possibly the best in the world."

Another club to have hosted the US Open four times is Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, located in Southampton on Long Island. Founded in 1891, it was laid out with the assistance of the Shinnecock Indian Nation tribe. It was one of the five clubs which founded the US Golf Association. Often compared to Muirfield in Scotland, the fairways are lined with fescue grass and golfers are likely to find themselves in at least one of the 150 bunkers during a game.

A course made famous by television is the Sawgrass Country Club, located east of Jacksonville, Florida. This course, which opened in 1980, has a place in history as the first course designed especially for a tournament. Sawgrass is the sole host of the tournament regarded as the "fifth major", the Players Championship, which takes place in May this year. This event features a small, exclusive field and US$8-million in prize money. The most famous hole is the dramatic 17th, an island green par-3 that has been the scene of many dramatic tournament finishes.

Finally, a course, which will make headlines next year is Valhalla, a private club in Louisville, Kentucky. It will host the 2008 Ryder Cup, where America hopes to regain the trophy from Europe. Founded on the dream of a local businessman in 1986, the course is now owned by the PGA. Distinguished by the clubhouse's 45-foot Rolex clock tower, the course boasts some of golf's most spectacular viewing areas. The final hole can accommodate 20,000 spectators in a natural amphitheatre. That setting should see some hard-fought finishes when the Ryder players come to town.