GOLF’s Top 100 Resorts in the World for 2026
*Resorts are sorted by geographic region and listed alphabetically. To learn more about each property, click or tap the property names below. “NEW” indicates resorts that are new to the list this year.
UNITED STATES & CANADA
The American Club
Kohler, Wis.
Even casual golfers are familiar with Whistling Straits, the architectural wonder along Lake Michigan, but there is so much more to Destination Kohler than Pete Dye’s iconic design. An hour drive from the Milwaukee airport, four 18-hole Dye courses await (the Straits, the Irish, the Meadow Valleys, the River), as well as a wildly entertaining facility called the Baths at Blackwolf Run, which features a 10-hole par-3 course and a two-acre putting course. (Yet another course, a 14-hole design called Purebred Farm, is scheduled to open next year.) The allure of Kohler isn’t limited to golf. The long list of off-course diversions ranges from kayaking on the lake and fly fishing on the salmon-rich Sheboygan River to pickleball and stand-up paddle-boarding. As you might expect from America’s plumbing experts, the Kohler Waters Spa is one of the nation’s finest. Dining options cover wide culinary ground, from first-rate pub grub to haute cuisine, and accommodations at the American Club are the pinnacle of luxury.
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
Bandon, Ore.
When Bandon Dunes opened in 1999, it was unlike anything golfers had experienced in America — the walking-only directive, the embrace of wind-whipped coastal weather and rugged imperfections were a slap in the face to the cushy frameworks of traditional resorts. More than 25 years and thousands of additional course acres later, any doubts have been resoundingly resolved. Bandon Dunes has long since become a mecca in the game, a must for golfers who want nothing more than to tee it up from dawn to dusk, and has inspired resorts around the world to rethink what it means to lure avid golfers. Accommodations range from single-occupancy lodge rooms to four-bedroom cottages, and the spa consists of just a sauna and hot tub — simple, soothing balms for all the golf you play.
Big Cedar Lodge
Ridgedale, Mo.
In the heart of the Missouri Ozarks where he was raised, Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris created Big Cedar Lodge as a portal to the great outdoors, looking to golf to help guests connect with nature. In the decades since, Big Cedar has emerged as one of the country’s fastest-growing destinations in the game, home to six courses by marquee designers and host to an annual stop on the Champions Tour. Billed as a “wilderness resort” for good reason, the property blends into an unspoiled landscape of piney forests, limestone caverns, rivers, creeks and lakes that make up some of the country’s most prized fishing waters.
courtesy Big Cedar Lodge
The Broadmoor
Colorado Springs, Colo.
It says something about the majesty of the Colorado mountains that a destination as sprawling as the Broadmoor can still feel like a hideaway. Tucked into the foothills of Cheyenne Mountain, the century-old, five-star resort feels both homey and high-class, with 10 restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools, a spa, a bowling alley, s’mores-friendly fire pits and two gorgeously maintained courses. The resort also offers “wilderness experiences” at three luxe lodging outposts: Cloud Camp, Fly Fishing Camp and the Ranch at Emerald Valley. On the dastardly Ross and RTJ greens, everything runs away from the mountains.
Cabot Cape Breton
Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada
The Cabot brand ranks among the fastest-growing names in golf-course development, with outposts spanning from Scotland to St. Lucia and beyond, but it all began here in Nova Scotia, on the rolling coastal land of a former fishing village. The original course, Cabot Links, is an understated layout of exceptional grace, with a front nine that skirts an ocean inlet. Its younger sibling, Cabot Cliffs, provides an eye-popping counterpart with a routing that runs along majestic bluffs. Both have earned a place on GOLF’s roster of Top 100 Courses in the World, and have since been joined by an 11-hole par-3 course called the Nest. Combined with the first-rate cuisine, a stunning coastline and the accents of the caddies, the wind-kissed golf infuses the entire property with a distinctly Nova Scotian sense of place.
Cabot Citrus Farms (NEW)
Brooksville, Fla.
From its birth in Canada, Cabot has stretched its reach to continental Europe, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean and beyond to become a marquee name in global golf development. But Citrus Farms is its sole project in the United States. On a Florida’s Nature course, in a region historically given over to orange growing, what was once World Woods Golf Club has been wiped away, its footprint refined and improved into a tasteful, multi-faceted golfer’s paradise. The two 18-hole courses here, the Karoo and the Roost, make for compelling study in contrasts. Where the former is a showcase of modernist design, with wild, wide fairways and an extravagant mounding to defend its opulently sized greens, the latter is more traditional in inspiration, lilting lightly through a throwback Florida landscape of grand oaks, quarries, creeks and lakes. Though quaint, well-appointed cottages are sweetly suited to buddies’ getaways, the resort itself is designed for all comers, with spot-on dining options both casual and formal, and a dazzling assortment of outdoor diversions, including ax-throwing, skeet shooting and world-class bass fishing.
Erin Hills (NEW)
Hartford, Wis.
The course Brooks Koepka cut down to size at the 2017 U.S. Open is best attacked from the proper tees. For most resort guests, that means steering clear of the tips, which measure more than 7,700 yards — a long-limbed layout, stretched across Wisconsin’s tousled kettle moraine. For all its scale, the design also poses subtle questions that can’t be resolved with power alone. The 2nd hole, for instance, is a short par-4 with fairway brow that hides the lay up area and small two-tiered green as a target for those who try to drive it. The back nine, meanwhile, is an exercise in elegance, with exquisitely shaped fairways and a wonderful collection of big-boy par 4s. Erin Hills is a walking-only course, and that ethos extends across the property, where four-bedroom cottages and other accommodations are arranged in the manner of an Irish village, connected by footpaths that winds throughout the entire grounds.
Patrick Koenig
Fairmont Banff Springs
Banff, Alberta, Canada
Set in the heart of Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this elegant resort has been called Canada’s “Castle in the Rockies,” with a grand hotel that rises from the base of the mountains. Stretching just below, in a stunning alpine valley, is a Golden Age design by Stanley Thompson, whose inspired routing — replete with gorgeous paw-print bunkers and undulating greens — makes the most of its breathtaking surrounds, winding along the Bow River in the shadow of towering peaks.
Omni Homestead Resort
Hot Springs, Va.
Staying at the Omni Homestead Resort is like walking through history. First opened in 1766, it was designated a National Historical Landmark in 1991 and has hosted 23 U.S. Presidents, including Thomas Jefferson, who enjoyed the spa and its thermal hot springs, which remain in use today. Omni took over ownership in 2013 and invested heavily in restoring and renovating the facilities. The Old Course dates to 1891 and was designed as an 18-hole facility by Donald Ross in the early 1900s, believed to be the longest continually operating first tee in the U.S.; the Upper Cascades course, designed by William Flynn, opened in 1923 and has hosted seven USGA national championships.
lynn swann
Omni PGA Frisco Resort
Frisco, Texas
One of the newest and most attention-grabbing properties in the golf world, the 500-room Omni PGA Frisco Resort sits just outside of Dallas. The PGA of America moved its headquarters here, and the resort has two 18-hole courses in Fields Ranch West (designed by Beau Welling) and Fields Ranch East (Gil Hanse) — the latter hosting the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and slated to host five more major championships over the next 12 years, including the 2027 PGA Championship. PGA Frisco also offers The Swing, a 10-hole par-3 course, and The Dance Floor, a two-acre putting course, both lighted for night play, plus 13 restaurants.
Pebble Beach Resort
Pebble Beach, Calif.
To hear original architect Jack Neville tell it, there wasn’t much to designing what would become the great American cathedral of public golf: “All we did was cut away a few trees, install a few sprinklers and sow a little seed.” The entire ethos of Pebble Beach Resorts follows Neville’s thinking: it’s a place built for enjoying incredible natural beauty, with a timeless quality that extends far beyond just the golf. Spend any time at Pebble and you’ll notice that it’s the attention to detail that sets it apart — from the unforgettable links all the way down to the chocolate strawberries. Property-wide renovations in recent years have upgraded everything from the main lodge to the Tap Room, Pebble’s famous post-round watering hole. An overhaul of Spanish Bay, orchestrated by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, is also underway and slated for completion next year.
Pinehurst Resort
Pinehurst, N.C.
It’s accepted that St. Andrews is the “Home of Golf.” If that’s the case, the home of American golf is Pinehurst. Everything you’d want — 10 courses (with an 11th on the way), housing, dining — is elaborately placed around weaving roads and paths on a sprawling campus, pine straw bordering every turn, anchored by an 18-hole putting course named Thistle Dhu that abuts a 9-hole short course named The Cradle. A true Pinehurst day might involve 18 on Gil Hanse’s wide-open redesign of No. 2, a wedges-only loop on the short course, settling bets on the putting course, and a pint in the Ryder Cup Lounge or the Pinehurst Brewing Co.
Primland (Auberge Resorts Collection)
Meadows of Dan, Va.
Folks around Primland in bucolic southern Virginia refer to golf course architect Donald Steel simply as “The Donald.” He offers no apologies for the Highland Course’s brash, unrelenting difficulty — a brawny circuit that makes its way through the peaks and valleys of the Dan River Gorge, framed by rough ridges offering no quarter for wayward shots. Its unique routing of five par-5s and five par-3s was dictated by the land. The resort overall has the unmistakable characteristics of owners who are heirs to a billion-dollar oil fortune: remote location, world-class golf, sport shooting, tomahawk throwing and a silo observatory for stargazing, plus three treehouses available for rent with dramatic views south into North Carolina.
Pronghorn Resort
Bend, Ore.
Welcome to Bend, Ore. — the high desert, a four-hour drive inland from the coast, and a proudly outdoorsy destination, with rivers running wild and mountains within easy striking distance amid the second-largest juniper forest in the world. Pronghorn’s two courses are close siblings but not twins, with the Fazio course being more forgiving and the Nicklaus design asking plenty of your irons; both extend through rollicking terrain, their fairways intertwined with lava caves and outcrops shaped eons ago by volcanoes. In the backdrop looms Mt. Bachelor, snow-dusted for much of the year. Every guest room has a fireplace, and the resort’s Huntington Lodge overlooks the 18th hole of the Fazio-designed course.
The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay, Calif.
During Prohibition, the hidden coves and thick fog around Half Moon Bay provided cover for both Canadian rum runners and local moonshine bootleggers. Today, the town’s towering cliffs overlooking the Pacific house are one of the most visually stunning course/hotel combos on the West Coast. Half Moon Bay Golf Links’ Ocean Course beguiles players with ocean views from nearly every hole, with fast and firm playing conditions that bring the ground game into play. In contrast, the neighboring Old Course is a traditional Northern California parkland design demanding an all-out aerial assault, with a famed par-4 18th that plays over a barranca into a green just below the hotel’s firepit terrace.
The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee
Greensboro, Ga.
There’s a reason that the Masters ignites a fire in most golfers, and Lake Oconee — about 85 miles west of Augusta — provides a taste of that same Georgia perfection. The resort combines warm Southern hospitality with the luxurious amenities associated with the Ritz-Carlton brand. Seven championship golf courses wind through the woods and water (an 8th is scheduled to open this fall), from Jack Nicklaus’s redesigned Great Waters to Rees Jones’ risk/reward lakeside design, The Oconee. Outdoor-lovers can hike, play tennis, fish or visit Sandy Creek Sporting Grounds for shooting, while a handful of eateries — from the Linger Longer Steakhouse to Gaby’s by the Lake — round out the stay.
Evan Schiller
Trump National Doral Miami (NEW)
Miami, Fla.
The Blue Monster is back on the PGA Tour schedule, and its host resort, Trump National Doral, makes its debut on this Top 100 Resorts list. Located just a few miles from the Miami airport, the world-class destination boasts tennis courts and a spa, and the Royal Palm Pool features 18 private cabanas — and a 125-foot water slide. The dining (there are several options, including the resort’s signature restaurant, BLT Prime) and accommodations and some of the best part of the stay. But it’s best to test it out yourself, including all four golf courses.
Sand Valley Golf Resort
Nekoosa, Wis.
Co-developed by brothers Chris and Michael Keiser, whose father founded Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley has followed a Bandon-like progression: starting with one course, then adding a second, a third, and on. Today, the upscale but easygoing resort, set on sandy, glacier-shaped terrain, is home to six courses of remarkable diversity and depth, ranging from broad-shouldered Mammoth Dunes to the pint-sized Sandbox, a 19-hole course that some guests play in flip-flops. Others simply go around in barefeet. Pick your pleasure. You can peg it at Sedge Valley, a sub-6,000 yard Tom Doak design patterned on the Heathland courses outside London, or work your way around the Commons, a lakeside layout that draws inspiration from the common ground courses of the UK. Backstories abound, but none is better than that of the Lido, a painstaking recreation of a long-lost C.B. MacDonald masterpiece on Long Island. A members club, the Lido, which ranks 30th on GOLF’s Top 100 U.S. list, is accessible to resort guests, as are a host of off-course activities, including tennis, fat-tire biking and paddleboarding.
Sea Island Resort
Sea Island, Ga.
Davis Love III grew up on Sea Island, one of coastal Georgia’s golf-rich Golden Isles. He and brother Mark, of Love Golf Design, recently completed an 18-hole putting course here and led a full renovation of the 1998 Rees Jones redesign of Plantation, which re-opened for play in 2019. The elegant Lodge recently wrapped a $30 million upgrade, and the new Golf Performance Center is peerlessly high-tech. Instruction has always been a major focus at Sea Island, with resident Tour players including Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Harris English and Brian Harman.
Sea Pines Resort
Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Hilton Head Island has long been one of the most in-demand golf destinations around, and no tee time is more sought after than Harbour Town, the Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus collaboration and the crown jewel of Sea Pines Resort. The course, which Davis Love III restored in 2025, has hosted the PGA Tour since 1969, when Arnold Palmer won the inaugural event, and its tight fairways, pesky overhanging branches and small greens put the emphasis on ball-striking. The dramatic 18th plays alongside the water and back toward the iconic red-and-white striped Harbour Town Lighthouse. The two other courses — Heron Point (Pete Dye) and Atlantic Dunes (Davis Love III) — round out the offering. The Inn & Club at Harbour Town is undergoing a sweeping renovation that is slated to be completed by 2029.
Courtesy Sea Pines Resort
SentryWorld (NEW)
Stevens Point, Wis.
SentryWorld has continued to evolve over the years and it’s blossomed into one of the top golf destinations in the Midwest. In 2021, it opened The Inn at SentryWorld, a handsome 64-room boutique hotel just off the golf course, which is famous for its meticulous conditioning, often-photographed Flower Hole par-3 and hosting marquee events like the 2023 U.S. Senior Open. In 2013, Jay Blasi, working in collaboration with Robert Trent Jones Jr., rerouted the SentryWorld design by implementing unused land throughout the property. Tee times now are liberally spaced out and include unlimited food and beverage at the course’s two fully-stocked refreshment stations. The resort’s dining options won’t leave you hungry, and a workout at the Fieldhouse before or after your stay is a must.
Streamsong Resort
Bowling Green, Fla.
You would be hard-pressed to find a greater gathering of elite course designers all working at the same property — let alone one built on a former mining site. Streamsong pulled it off, with a Hanse (Black course), Coore & Crenshaw (Blue course) and Doak (Red course) trio, plus the Chain, an 18-hole short course by Crenshaw and Coore. A fifth course, Bone Valley, designed by David McLay Kidd, is set to open next year. With a top-shelf practice facility, this is a golf resort in every sense of the term — each course was designed to include a six-hole stretch that runs outward and back to the clubhouse, so guests can squeeze in extra holes. Off the course, there’s bass fishing, clay shooting and archery.
U.K. & IRELAND
Adare Manor
Adare, Limerick, Ireland
A trip to this lavish, 840-acre estate just 20 minutes from Shannon Airport may evoke vibes of Augusta National, and the conditioning of the golf course backs that up. Adare Manor has just one golf course — a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design, since reworked by Tom Fazio, that will host the 2027 Ryder Cup — but that leaves plenty of time to discover the resort’s other amenities, from shooting and equestrian to wine and whiskey tasting. Limerick, Ireland native and billionaire J.P. McManus acquired the property in 2015 and spared little expense in turning it into one of the most luxurious five-star resorts in the world.
Cabot Highlands (NEW)
Dalcross, Inverness, Scotland
Set along the shores of the Moray Firth, Cabot Highlands makes a strong case for a golf trip built around the game, and more. The resort is home to two 18-hole championship courses: Castle Stuart, a GOLF Top 100 Course in the World, and Old Petty, a new Tom Doak design that provides an inland complement to its sibling, tumbling over firm fast ground on a test complicated by shifting winds. Though Castle Stuart sits closer to the coast, both layouts offer wondrous water views. And in a charming twist, Old Petty provides a more intimate encounter with Castle Stuart itself; the 16th-century tower house stands astride the par-3 3rd hole, so intimately placed you can almost reach it with your putter. The resort has smartly executed cuisine and comfortable farmhouse accommodations. Off-property, meanwhile, Inverness is close at hand, with pubs, breweries and distilleries, historic castles and boat trips on the firth. You can also go fly-fishing or archery, in what is basically base camp for wider explorations of the Highlands.
Jacob Sjoman
Carton House GC
Maynooth, Kildare, Ireland
Located only about 25 minutes from Dublin Airport, Carton House sits on 1,100 acres, with parcels set aside for two premium courses by Mark O’Meara and Colin Montgomerie. The O’Meara course is a parkland design, while the Montgomerie unfolds as an inland links. The Montgomerie has thrice hosted the Irish Open, most recently in 2013. The hotel has a luminous backstory. Formerly the home of the FitzGerald family, the Earls of Kildare and Dukes of Leinster, it was built in the 18th century, and its Georgian-style features have been lovingly preserved. It is now a popular wedding venue, with 169 bedrooms and suites and outdoor family activities including horseback riding, falconry and pickleball.
Gleneagles
Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland
The visiting golfer can find every level of the game at Gleneagles. From the Centenary Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, which hosted the 2014 Ryder Cup, to two other championship-level courses, to a nine-hole track named “The Wee Course,” all the way down to a pitch ‘n’ putt loop, there is always more golf to be played at Gleneagles, plus a full PGA academy on-site. Off the course, Gleneagles is all about being outdoors, with off-road driving through hills and streams in a rugged jeep, trails for cycling, hiking and horseback riding, and grass tennis courts, croquet and lawn games.
The Grove
Watford, Hertfordshire, England
Visiting The Grove is about exhaling. Sitting down. Letting time pass by. Everything at The Grove is made for relaxing, from climbing in the woods to kicking your feet up in box seats at an Arsenal football match. The most avid golfers will be pleased to find a Trackman range setup on property to help dial in their game before recreating some of the same shots PGA Tour pros have played over the past two decades. Inside The Grove’s “Walled Garden,” there’s tranquility just a short drive from London.
Old Head of Kinsale
Kinsale, Cork, Ireland
Links golf is full of spectacular sites. Old Head puts most of them to shame. The ocean views, the dramatic cliffs, the black-and-white lighthouse in the fog — once you’ve set foot on this site, you’ll never forget it. Pair a round on Old Head’s terrific links with a stay in its on-site suites and you’re experiencing Ireland at its very finest.
David Cannon/Getty Images
Rosapenna
Letterkenny, Donegal, Ireland
Rosapenna already had two unique golf courses in its portfolio — the Old Tom Morris Links, designed by its namesake in 1893, plus the Sandy Hill Links, which opened in 2003 — before it welcomed the highly acclaimed St. Patrick’s Links, designed by Tom Doak and which ranks 44th on GOLF’s ranking of Top 100 Courses in the World. In other words, Rosapenna is links golf paradise, providing three courses that vary in scale, style and vintage, plus a bar and restaurant on site, a spa, pool and sauna, and access to outdoor activities from walking and cycling to horseback riding and watersports.
Trump International Scotland (NEW)
Balmedie, Aberdeen, Scotland
Stitched through a towering stretch of dunes along the North Sea, the Old Course here opened in 2012 and quickly gained acclaim for the drama of its backdrop and the delightful variety of its design. The New Course, which arrived 13 years later, is a sweetly complementary sibling, sharing a lineage (both links were designed by Martin Hawtree) but cutting a different profile on its rolling path through three distinct coastal landscapes. Both are served by the MacLeod House and Lodge, a 18-bedroom Scottish baronial mansion with marble bathrooms, secret stairwells and personal butler service. The resort recently added the Great North Sea Residences, to further bolster their luxury offering.
Trump International Golf Links & Hotel-Doonbeg (NEW)
Doonbeg, Clare, Ireland
At Doonbeg’s opening in 2002, Greg Norman, who designed the layout, played a match against Padraig Harrington, who was wowed by his opponent’s work. More than two decades later, when the 2026 Amgen Irish Open was held at Trump Doonbeg, Harrington was even more impressed. “The place looks fantastic. It’s brilliant,” he said. At that point, he was looking at a renovated course, modified by Martin Hawtree under the guidance of the Trump Organisation, to refine the challenge and improve the flow. Among other alterations, Hawtree redesigned six holes and tweaked the routing — moving several greens deeper into the dunes while shifting other playing areas farther from erosion areas near the coast — and softening some of the gnarliest rough and runoffs. The result is a course that provides an ample test for Tour pros while offering a friendlier reception to resort guests. Off the course, everyone gets a warm welcome at a luxurious lodge with spacious rooms and suites with Atlantic views. For even greater privacy, multi-bedroom cottages and townhouses are available on the estate as well. It comes together to provide the perfect base for a South West Ireland itinerary.
Trump Turnberry (NEW)
Girvan, Ayrshire, Scotland
It’s an image emblazoned in the annals of the game: Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, arms around each other’s shoulders, walking off the 18th green in the wake of their fabled “Duel in the Sun.” That was 1977, the first of four turns the Ailsa course has taken hosting the Open Championship. On the most recent occasion, in 2009, a 59-year-old Watson came within a whisker of claiming the Claret Jug again. In the intervening years, some things haven’t changed. The Ailsa Course at Trump Turnberry remains a fixture on GOLF’s World Top 100 ranking. But it’s now regarded as an even finer test, thanks to upgrades by Martin Ebert and the Trump Organization, who also overhauled the Ailsa’s sibling 18, the sneakily outstanding King Robert the Bruce course. Trump’s Twelve, a 12-hole short course has been added, too, with entertaining holes that range in length from 70 to 206 yards. A home to iconic championship moments, Turnberry also boasts an iconic hotel, a five-star Edwardian retreat built in 1906 and overlooking the Ayrshire coast. Renovated in 2014, with significant investment from Trump, the resort’s accommodations range from smartly appointed guest rooms and cottages to luxury suites, none more notable than the two-bedroom option on the Ailsa Course itself, constructed inside the fabled Trump Turnberry Lighthouse.
Courtesy Trump Turnberry
CONTINENTAL EUROPE
Carya GC
Belek, Antalya, Turkey
The five-star Regnum Carya, approximately 30 minutes from Turkey’s Antalya International Airport, bundles a staggering array of amenities and activities into an all-inclusive stay that offers something for everyone. On a couples’ trip? Enjoy white-sand beaches, intimate dining, adults-only pools, a luxurious spa and nightclub. Traveling with the family? There are kids’ options galore, including kid-specific dining; a game center highlighted by bowling, billiards, table football and pinball; and even gratis admission and transportation to the nearby Land of Legends theme park. Want to play golf from sun-up to sundown? There are two courses to choose from, the on-site Carya Golf Club and the nearby 27-hole National Golf Club. And you don’t even have to stop when it gets dark, thanks to Carya Golf Club’s flood-lit course, the first in Europe. Accommodations range from standard rooms and suites to six-bedroom villas with private pools.
Costa Navarino
Messinia, Greece
Though there are fewer than a dozen courses in the country, golf isn’t all Greek to the Greeks. They’ve come to know it through Costa Navarino, a sprawling coastal destination that has rocketed to the top of the list of Continental Europe’s finest golf resorts. Set in the Peloponnese region, a three-hour drive from Athens, the property is nirvana for golf and other indulgences. Four world-class courses are routed around, above and alongside four first-class hotels: the family-friendly Westin; the hipster, adults-preferred W; the romantically posh Romanos; and the even more posh (and pricey) Mandarin Oriental.
Finca Cortesin
Casares, Spain
A five-star resort tucked just outside the dreamy Spanish coast city of Malaga, Finca Cortesin is home to a first-rate course. But you’d be forgiven if you “forgot” to make a tee time and spent that time instead at the property’s immaculate hotel, which routinely ranks among the 50 best in the world. Seriously, though. Don’t skip golf. Cabell B. Robinson’s rugged design is an essentially Spanish track that runs from the hills out to the ocean. The Volvo World Match Play Championship has been held here on multiple occasions, as was the Solheim Cup in 2023. After your round, you won’t need to be reminded of how much else there is to enjoy, including delicately maintained gardens, a private beach club and four swimming pools.
courtesy Finca Cortesin
Monte Rei G&CC
Tavira, Portugal
Completed in 2007, the Jack Nicklaus Signature Design North Course at Monte Rei Golf & CC ranks among Portugal’s best designs. Set between the Serra do Caldeirão mountains and the Atlantic Ocean in the eastern portion of the Algarve, Monte Rei is close to the Spanish border, so day trips to Seville are as easy as escapes to Lisbon. But why leave? Monte Rei is full-service and luxurious, with chic and comfy apartment-style residences that offer ready access to pools, bars, restaurants and the course.
Oitavos Dunes
Lisbon, Portugal
For most golfers arriving in Portugal, the Algarve used to be the whole story. When Oitavos Dunes opened in 2001, it offered Cascais as an alternative. The Arthur Hills design isn’t technically a links, but it plays like one — firm, bouncy ground underfoot and the Atlantic never far from view. In its early years, it claimed a place on GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the World list. Framed by pine and scrub, with coastal blue popping here and there in the backdrop, the course is a splendid walk in a sun-kissed Mediterranean setting. And the food and wine, in classic Portuguese fashion, are fresh, unfussy and irresistible.
Quinta do Lago (NEW)
Almancil, Portugal
The Algarve has deep roots as a golf destination, and Quinta do Lago is one of the region’s OGs. Its South Course first welcomed play in 1974, and has been a frequent stop on the European circuit as the host of the Portuguese Open. The North Course, which was born at the same time as a nine-hole layout and later expanded to 18, was fully remade in 2014 by Beau Welling, in collaboration with European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley. Rounding out the golf is the Laranjal, an artful 18-holer shaped through a former orange grove, with friendly, rolling fairways flanked by umbrellas pines. It’s a favorite among regulars at a sun-splashed resort that allows for year-round play, in a climate similar to California’s.
Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco (NEW)
Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
Fashion dynasty meets golf dynasty at Castiglion del Bosco, the 5,000-acre, 900-year-old Tuscan estate owned by Massimo and Chiara Ferragamo. Tom Weiskopf’s only design on the European continent threads through the rolling hills of the UNESCO-protected Val d’Orcia, and it’s Italy’s sole private golf club — ranked the No. 1 course in the country. Weiskopf had a sense of humor about it, too: the short 19th, known as the Brunello Hole, is a bet-settler, often played for wine, and not just any wine. One tradition calls for golfers to wager over a magnum of estate Brunello. But feel free to choose your own stakes. Back at the resort, 42 suites and 11 restored farmhouse villas surround a Michelin-starred restaurant, Campo del Drago, and a spa built for lingering. It’s less a golf trip than a full submersion into the Tuscan good life — with 18 holes as the centerpiece.
Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort
Cadiz, Spain
In 1964, an American expat named Joseph McMicking saw untouched scrubland near Gibraltar and detected the makings of a golf paradise. He was right. Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s first European design, Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, put the community on the map, and it’s been growing ever since — Seve Ballesteros won a Spanish PGA there in ’87, and in 1994 King Juan Carlos I granted the club Royal status. Today the SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort sits at the center of a genuine golf mecca, with Almenara — three nine-hole loops by Dave Thomas — practically at the front door and Valderrama, host of the 1997 Ryder Cup, a short drive away. Off the course, guests can work through four bars and restaurants or simply take in the Mediterranean from a private beach club. Six courses, one home base: for golf-first travelers in Andalusia, it’s tough to beat.
Terras da Comporta (NEW)
Comporta, Portugal
The upscale beach community of Comporta, south of Lisbon, has been called Portugal’s answer to the Hamptons, with piney, sandy land kissed by ocean breezes. What it didn’t always have was world-class golf. That changed in 2023, with the opening of the Dunas Golf Course, an 18-hole championship course designed by David McLay-Kidd and seamlessly woven into the rolling dunes. A second 18, by Sergio Garcia, has since rounded out the golf menu at a destination that offers a rare combination of contemporary luxury, nature and an effortless resort lifestyle.
James Hogg
Terre Blanche Golf & Spa Resort
Tourrettes, France
Deep in the hills of the Var, 30 minutes from Cannes, Dave Thomas carved two championship courses out of a 301-hectare swath of Provençal forest, ravine and lake, leaving his signature jagged-edged bunkers as a calling card throughout. Le Château, the longer and more demanding of the pair at 7,235 yards, has hosted a European Senior Tour stop and tests players with a multi-tiered waterfall guarding the elevated green at the par-3 second. Le Riou, reserved for members and hotel guests, climbs and dives through hillier terrain and hosts the Terre Blanche Ladies Open each year. The resort has earned GEO Certified status for its conservation work, but there’s nothing austere about the accommodations — villa-style suites with private pools, a Michelin-starred table at Le Faventia, and a spa built for post-round recovery. It’s Provence at its most polished.
Verdura Resort
Sciacca, Sicily
Before Kyle Phillips built Verdura’s two courses, his best-known design was Kingsbarns, the acclaimed links a few miles from St. Andrews. He brought that same seaside sensibility to Sicily’s southern coast, laying out the East and West courses along a stretch of Mediterranean coastline so pristine that Sir Rocco Forte, who developed the resort, allows only electric vehicles on the grounds. The West (or Shore) Course closes with five holes hugging the water; the East plays more inland and intimate, with deep pot bunkers that could pass for Scotland if not for the Bermuda grass underfoot, chosen to survive Sicilian summers. Both have hosted the Sicilian Open and the Rocco Forte Open on a composite routing of their best holes. Beyond the fairways: four restaurants, a spa spanning 40,000 square meters, and a private beach — reasons enough that Forte still vacations here with his own family every summer.
Vilamoura Golf Resort (NEW)
Vilamoura, Portugal
Pristine beaches. Alfresco dining. A bustling marina. Multiple world-class golf courses. Vilamoura has it all. This popular golf destination is an easy drive from the local Faro airport, and just over two hours by car from Lisbon. A robust roster of accommodations ranges from luxury apartment rentals to five-star resort properties like the Hilton Vilamoura at Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa and Victoria Golf Resort and Spa. World-class golf is plentiful, too, with five courses accessible to guests, including the renowned Old Course and the recently redesigned Els Club Vilamoura, where the PGA Tour Champions teed it up for the first time this summer.
MEXICO/THE AMERICAS/CARIBBEAN
Albany Resort
New Providence, The Bahamas
You might know Albany only as the host of Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge, but its primary role is to serve as a luxurious oceanside getaway. Owned by billionaire Joe Lewis, along with Woods, Ernie Els and Justin Timberlake, the gated 600-acre community opened in 2010. Most of the residential properties at Albany — from the colonial-style ocean-front villas to the super-slick apartments that overlook a yacht-filled marina — are available for rent on a nightly basis, making it a swank destination for those in the know. Els designed the par-72, 7,400-yard course, which offers a balance of windswept dunes, desert features and water hazards. Surrounding the course is a 400-yard driving range, a pristine short-game practice area, and a fully-equipped swing performance center.
Amanera
Playa Grande, Dominican Republic
On the Dominican Republic’s Gold Coast on Playa Grande Beach, this all-casita-and-casa resort is a monument to upscale luxury. Surrounded by natural beauty, it’s an outdoor-enthusiast’s paradise with endless water sports, outdoor yoga and spa treatments, plus hiking in the nearby mountains. The Rees Jones-designed course is one of the more spectacular courses in the region. All 18 holes have a view of the ocean with 10 holes directly on the water, clinging to the cliffs, including the last five.
courtesy amanera
Apes Hill (NEW)
St. James, Barbados
Set 1,000 feet above sea level, the golf resort and community of Apes Hill encompasses 475 acres of stunning landscape: deep, winding gullies, coral rock formations and rare sand dunes, highlighted by the Scotland District, a rare underwater mountain range that is visible above sea level. Guests can enjoy panoramic vistas of both the Atlantic and Caribbean Oceans as they tee it up on the onsite, 18-hole championship course, or they can bring the family for a stroll on the 9-hole Little Apes par-3 course. Off-course activities abound, too, like guided hikes through the island’s lush surrounds, tennis and Padel courts, yoga, swimming, and a short shuttle ride to the property’s private beach club.
Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico
An original Rockefeller resort when it opened in the ’50s, Dorado Beach partnered with Ritz-Carlton in 2018 to become the only Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Western Hemisphere. The RTJ-designed tracks — Sugarcane and East — have long been the calling card for golf vacationers in Puerto Rico. The food is exquisite, thanks to top chef Mario Pagan, and indicative of the resort’s one-of-a-kind offerings is the spa’s treehouse-like massage setting. Be sure to make time to see the five-bedroom Su Casa, an original, restored 1920s villa on the 50-acre property.
Courtesy Dorado Beach
Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
If you’re drawn to the notion of sleeping in a tropical rain forest (without the bugs, snakes and heat), Papagayo is for you. On a hillside perch overlooking the dreamy blues of the Pacific, you can indulge in spectacular Four Seasons hospitality in the midst of a vibrant rain forest, with private balconies serving up tree-lined scenery and views of Blanca or Virador Beach. A seven-minute ride away is the Arnold Palmer-designed, par-72 course with dramatic elevation changes and huge rolling fairways. Watch out for the cheeky monkeys who might try to snatch your ball.
Four Seasons Resort Nevis
Charlestown, Nevis, West Indies
In the 16th century, Spanish explorers named the island Nuestra Señora de Las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snow) in honor of clouds that reminded them of snow. This just in: it doesn’t snow on Nevis. The tropical climate allows for year-round golf, and this lavish resort is a fine place to play it. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the course stretches through lush terrain between the coast and the base of Nevis Peak, where billowy clouds still gather like snow drifts but the flaky stuff itself does not fall.
Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico
In early 2020, in what now seems like another lifetime, just prior to lockdowns and more than two years before the launch of LIV, Greg Norman cut the ribbon on a new course in Cabo. The name has since changed, but Norman’s design remains the same. Against a backdrop worthy of a Baja postcard, the inviting routing moves from high-desert terrain with ample ocean vistas to lower-lying, links-like stretches along the water, punctuated by an island-green par-3 17th hole. Though the course itself is not encroached by homes, a luxe resort spreads around it, spliced by hiking trails, dotted with swimming pools and equipped with an array of luxe amenities, including a spa with outdoor treatment rooms.
Llao Llao Hotel & Resort
San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
In geographic terms, Patagonia is a region at the southern tip of South America. In more colloquial lingo, it is shorthand for unspoiled natural beauty, a vast swath of virgin territory rippled with mountains and dotted with lakes, including the crystalline waters that ring this remote resort. Accommodations here are rustic-chic, the guest rooms lined with native hardwoods. And the golf course is at one with its surroundings, with sweeping views of water and snow-capped peaks.
Mayakoba Riviera (Rosewood/Fairmont)
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Formerly a stop on the PGA Tour, and more recently a LIV Golf venue, the El Camaleon course here winds inland through the Mayan jungle before kissing up against the Gulf of Mexico — golden sunsets and turquoise waters included, along with a notable cave bunker at hole 7. The property encompasses four stellar hotels: Fairmont, Rosewood, Banyan Tree and Andaz, along with spa services and dining amenities.
Mukul, Auberge Resorts Collection
Guacalito De La Isla, Nicaragua
If you had to distill it to a single sentence, you might note that this resort, on Nicaragua’s Emerald Coast, was built by Don Carlos Pellas, the billionaire owner of Flor de Cana rum. But that wouldn’t give the full flavor of the place. The property spreads across 1,670 acres and provides the kind of quiet luxury that makes you feel as if you’ve got the whole place to yourself. Natural beauty extends everywhere, from the inland mountains, carpeted in forest, to the crescent curve of a white-sand coast, but also on a brilliant David McLay Kidd course that closes with one of the world’s most photogenic holes: a par-3 with a green set directly on the beach.
One & Only Palmilla
San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Commanding views of the Sea of Cortez are a big selling point at the One&Only Palmilla, on a spectacular piece of the Baja California peninsula. The resort’s history began in the mid-1950s, when it originated as a plush 15-room hideaway for Don Abelardo Rodriguez, the son of the president of Mexico, hosting notables including John Wayne, Lucille Ball and President Eisenhower. Jack Nicklaus designed the course at Palmilla Golf Club in 1992: first the Mountain and Arroyo nines, then the Ocean loop in 1999. The three nines are carved out of an oceanside canyon framed by the stony peaks of San Jose del Cabo, with holes traversing gorges and hills littered with cacti.
Puntacana Resort & Club
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
A resort town on the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana is said to be the second-most popular tourist destination in Latin America. A big part of the allure are the 45 holes of first-rate island golf that anchor this expansive resort, 27 of which were designed by P.B. Dye. The other 18 were built by Tom Fazio, whose Corales Course is the first course in the D.R. to host a PGA Tour event — a championship test for the pros that makes an exhilarating playground for golfers of all levels, with a closing stretch known as the Devil’s Elbow that bends diabolically along the sea.
Courtesy Puntacana Resort & Club
Punta Mita (Four Seasons/St. Regis)
Bahia de Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico
About an hour north of lively Puerto Vallarta lies the Riviera Nayarit, a 200-mile stretch of rugged, white-sand coastland that’s home to some of Mexico’s most diverse and beautiful destinations. Punta Mita, which has both a Four Seasons and a St. Regis, sits within a 400-acre nature preserve on a private peninsula overlooking Bahía de Banderas. The golf, all 37 holes, traverses the area with numerous lakes and bunkers flanking some of Jack Nicklaus’s most dramatic green complexes. And no, 37 is not a typo. That extra hole is “Hole 3B,” the only au natural island green anywhere on earth, reachable on foot at low tide or by amphibious golf cart when the tide is up.
Banyan Tree
Phuket, Thailand
True to billing, the palm-fringed layout at Laguna Golf Phuket winds along a saltwater lagoon that comes into play on multiple occasions. There’s plenty of water off the course as well, but it’s pleasing, not penal. All the guest rooms at Banyan Tree are villas, and each has a private pool — a refreshing touch of luxury. The resort itself is designed in the manner of a traditional Thai village, intimate and welcoming, with greenery giving way to tranquil waterways, and A-list amenities within easy reach, including the clubhouse and the first tee.
courtesy Banyan Tree
The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram Strip
Bá Ria-Vũng Tàu Province, Vietnam
Among the many hats he wears — clothier, vintner, restaurateur, disruptor — Greg Norman is also tourism ambassador to Vietnam. He’s bullish on the country — and its courses, in part because he designed a few of them. Situated on the coast, 80 miles from Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Tram opened in 2010 on a sandy plateau that overlooks the water and has the rugged feel of a tropical links. Though development constraints prevented Norman from routing holes hard along the sea, he moved little land while fashioning a bouncy layout that plays under the influence of coastal winds. The course, which is Norman’s second design in Vietnam, is the first golf resort in the country to be integrated with a casino, which sits a shuttle-ride away, on a bustling beach-side strip. You can channel your inner gambler, on and off the course.
Cascadia (NEW)
Gangwon-do, South Korea
In mountainous South Korea, where land for golf is scarce, many courses double as feats of engineering. So it goes to the 27-hole Cascadia Resort, some 90 minutes outside Seoul, where each of the three nines sits in distinctive surroundings. The Stone Course moves through otherworldly rock formations, on a routing marked by dramatic shifts in elevation, while the Tree Course is exactly that — a sylvan layout etched through virgin forest that pops with vibrant foliage in the fall. The Water Course has a seven-stage waterfall as its centerpiece, and an island green on its signature hole. Not to be outdone, the resort itself is a modernist marvel of travertine and marble, its clubhouse, restaurant and other infrastructure stacked vertically into the steep terrain.
Chiangmai Highland Golf & Spa Resort
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Big hitter, the monk. Actually, not really. But Khruba Siwichai, who lived at the turn of the 19th century, was an esteemed Buddhist monk, and this resort sits on his former hermitage. No wonder the meditative mood of the surroundings, in an unspoiled setting that combines fresh air and friendly service with long views of a mountainous northern Thai landscape. For all the tranquility of atmosphere, the golf itself can be pulse-pounding, on three dramatic, water-strewn nines that invite bold lines and heroic shot-making. After the exhilaration of a round comes ample opportunity for relaxation in the steam room, swimming pool, sauna or an Aveda-inspired massage that offers a full menu of soothing treatments.
The Datai Langkawi (NEW)
Langkawi Island, Malaysia
Golf may be an ancient game, but it’s fresh-faced compared to the ecosystem that gives the Rainforest Course its name. The first seeds sprouted here in the Cenozoic Era, some 10 million years before four-time major champion Ernie Els showed up to shape a layout in the tropical surrounds. Stitched between the forest and the Andaman Sea, Els’ design has no formal bunkers, but portions of the course spill through the trees, where tangled trouble awaits just off the fairways. Streams meander through the property as well, though the finest — and most challenging — water holes are along the coast, which comes into play on both nines. You might lose a golf ball. But any pain you feel is soothed by the splendor of the setting and the comfort of the accommodations — 121 refined rooms, suites and villas, with canopy and coastline in every direction.
Courtesy Datai Langkawi
FLC Halong Bay Golf Club & Luxury Resort
Ha Long, Vietnam
A lot of resort courses have water views. No other has water views like this. Stretched atop a hill along the Gulf of Tonkin, roughly 100 miles from the capital of Hanoi, this luxe destination commands a panoramic of a seascape so distinctive, it’s been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ha Long means “descending dragon,” an evocative descriptor for the thousands of limestone outcrops that rise from Ha Long Bay, calling to mind the spikes of a partially submerged sea monster. The course, designed by Brian Curley, is a spectacle, too, winding through verdant, pine-studded terrain with an inventive routing that features four par-3s in a five-hole stretch and water views on all 18. Unlike many resorts in Vietnam, where golf and accommodations are spread apart, with shuttles running back and forth, Halong’s course sits at the center of the action: an arresting playground, stitched amid accommodations and amenities that suit the splendor of the setting.
Laguna Lăng CÔ
Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam
It’s not often when walking to your ball you’ll pass farmers working rice paddy fields, water buffalo in tow. But at Laguna Golf Lang Co, it happens on at least four holes. The farmer may not always be there, but the rice paddies will, and you better hope your ball is not in one. This is just one of the many unique and delightful aspects of what some believe to be one of Sir Nick’s more daunting designs anywhere (his second in Vietnam). Completed in 2013, Laguna Golf Lang Co is the centerpiece of a sprawling resort complex in Central Vietnam, tucked between steep mountains and white sand beaches. It’s characterized largely by rolling sand dunes, natural streams and warm breezes along the East Sea. It can stretch out past 7,000 yards for the hearty, but Faldo has built a set of tees for those looking for a more leisurely experience at 5,263. You’ll walk away from Laguna Golf Lang Co and realize it’s unlike any course you’ve ever played — perhaps the best compliment a golf course can receive.
courtesy Fancourt
Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita
Beau Champ, Mauritius
Resort destinations don’t get much more exclusive. At once upscale and understated, this Four Seasons has minimal accommodations, offering 14 luxurious spots rather than standard hotel rooms, including villas, island sanctuaries and private retreats, each with its own garden and pool. The resort golf feels private, too, with a pair of championship golf courses, designed by Ernie Els and Bernhard Langer, respectively. Before or after golf, there are extensive land and water activities, spa services and five dining venues, all set on a remote island with turquoise waters and private beach access.
Ba-Phalaborwa Hotel, Golf & Spa (NEW)
Phalaborwa, South Africa
Recently rebranded — it was previously known as Hans Merensky Hotel & Spa and has since undergone several updates throughout the property and golf course — Ba-Phalaborwa Hotel, Golf & Spa sits steps from Kruger National Park, where you should trade in your golf clubs for a working camera. Safaris are easy to arrange, and they’re a must, though you’re bound to see wildlife on the course as well. Giraffes stride the fairways. Monkeys spectate from the trees. It’s golf as an exhilarating adventure.
Heritage Resorts & Golf Mauritius
Bel Ombre, Mauritius
You can live the suite life at Heritage Le Telfair, where all the accommodations on offer are suites, and the only thing you have to decide is what kind of view you’d like to enjoy: garden, beachfront or seaview. Two stunning golf courses await: the first, the established Le Chateau, featuring gentle foothills, generous fairways, and stunning views of the Indian Ocean, and the second, La Reserve, which was co-designed by Louis Oosthuizen and will celebrate its grand opening in December. Both courses have the distinction of hosting the DP World Tour’s Mauritius Open, with La Reserve making its host debut this year. Post-round, hungry resort guests can choose from an array of delectable choices, from the beachfront Le Palmier to the elegant Annabella’s. Non-golf activities abound on both land and sea, from boat excursions and snorkeling to exploring the awe-inspiring Bel Ombre Nature Reserve by vehicle or foot. Need to work out some aches and pains? The resort’s Seven Colours Spa is 2,000 square meters or pure tranquility, with a full menu of professional treatments as well as a hydrotherapy pool, bubble bath, and outdoor showers.
Hilton Tangier Al Houara Resort & Spa
Tangier, Morocco
Cozied up to the Atlantic Ocean and set, jewel-like, on a remote, 60-acre parcel of forest, the Hilton Tangier Al Houara wants to put you into a trance and keep you there. It does that with its airy, open architecture (think vaulted ceilings and archways), spacious rooms, serene green spaces and a palm-lined pool. As of September 2022, it also does it with golf: two tracks, an 18-holer and an illuminated 9-hole short course, courtesy of Vijay Singh and design partner Graham Marsh. Tipping out at 7,550 yards and spread across 270 acres, the main course is primarily inland, open and flat enough to afford views of the ocean when you’re not otherwise occupied by Singh and Marsh’s water hazards.
The Palace of the Lost City
Sun City, South Africa
What sounds like an installment in the Indiana Jones adventure series is, in fact, a magnet for luxury-seekers. Situated on a volcanic site in the Pilanesberg mountains, this sprawling, resplendent development is served by a roster of upscale hotels and anchored by an 18-hole Gary Player design on which some hazards take on extra meaning. The signature hole is the 13th, a downhill par-3 that plays to a green shaped like the African continent, fronted by a pond teeming with Nile crocodiles.
Shura Links (NEW)
Shura Island, Saudi Arabia
Among its other ambitions in the game, Saudi Arabia aims to be a magnet for upscale stay-and-play. Shura Links is a glimmering expression of that goal. Set on a natural island in the Red Sea, the property is anchored by an artful, eco-sensitive Brian Curley design, which spills through native mangroves and bright white dunes on a footprint with minimal irrigated turf that features long shorelines stretches. Astride the main 18 is a two-acre, family-friendly putting course as well as an expansive range and modernist clubhouse that matches the aesthetic of a sprawling development that is slated to be served by 11 luxury hotels, including the Four Seasons, Jumeirah, Raffles and Rosewood.
Courtesy Shura Links
Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Fans of the DP World Tour will know the resort’s 27-hole golf course — Abu Dhabi Golf Club — from its decade-long run (through 2021) as host site of the HSBC Golf Championship, whose winners include Rickie Fowler, Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood. The course is also known for its clubhouse, which resembles a falcon with outstretched wings. The resort has 172 rooms that all offer golf-course views, six restaurants, and the Heavenly Spa. One of its other appeals is location — just 15 minutes from the heart of Abu Dhabi and 10 minutes from the primary airport, with biking trails, city tours and desert safaris nearby.
SOUTH PACIFIC
13th Beach Golf Links
Barwon Heads, Australia
What’s better than playing an award-winning course at a Top 100 Resort in the World? Playing two award-winning courses. That’s what 13th Beach offers. The Beach course is renowned for its links land and features a challenging set of par-3s; Sir Nick Faldo’s Creek Course complements it with undulating fairways, taking inspiration from Melbourne’s Sand Belt course designs. For quick fun, there’s also the Short Course, designed by Tony Cashmore with golfers of all skill levels in mind.
Barnbougle Dunes
Bridport, Australia
It took a while, but most Americans now know that the Australian island state of Tasmania is more than the land of a cartoon devil. A turning point for golfers came in 2005, with the opening of Barnbougle Dunes, a Tom Doak design on Tasmania’s northeast coast that ranks 41st on GOLF’s list of Top 100 Courses in the World. Doak’s routing rumbles over firm, windswept ground, on a journey full of awe-inspiring views; one highlight is the short 7th, the southern hemisphere’s equivalent to Troon’s Postage Stamp hole. Barnbougle’s companion, Lost Farm, is a Coore-Crenshaw design that features huge dunes running both parallel and perpendicular to the ocean, with a par-3 4th that’s drawn comparisons to the famous 7th at Pebble Beach. Accommodations are like the course design: minimalistic, with maximum attention to detail. And the locally sourced cuisine includes pairings with world-class Tasmanian wines.
Jacob Sjoman
COMO Laucala Island
Laucala Island, Fiji
Is this paradise? Perhaps. COMO Laucala Island’s amenities are spectacular. With just 25 standalone homes on the property, you are essentially alone — but there’s plenty to do, from beachfront and water activities (horseback riding, sunset cruises, sailing, kayaking, surfing, diving, snorkeling and fishing) to wellness activities at what the resort terms a “Shambhala Retreat.” The golf course, cut through the jungle and designed by Bandon Dunes architect David McLay Kidd, is both challenging and scenic, nowhere more than on the par-5 12th, with a green that extends to the beach. The only access to the island is by private jet, your own or the resort’s, boarded at Nadi International Airport.
Hamilton Island Resort
Queensland, Australia
At Hamilton Island Resort, you can relax, or not, as the Australian gem seemingly has every activity covered: beach activities, boating, submarining, helicopter rides, a spa and 11 restaurants, along with six accommodation options and the opportunity to sleep outside at the Great Barrier Reef, or underwater. The golf course, reached by ferry on its own island (Dent Island), is known for wicked winds and impenetrable bushland — the 14th hole has been called the “Valley of Death.” There’s also a clubhouse restaurant with seating overlooking the water.
Millbrook Resort (NEW)
Arrowtown, New Zealand
Millbrook Resort, a newcomer on this list, sits in Central Otago, on 650 acres stitched with tranquil gardens and scenic waterways. There are five on-site restaurants and five tiers of accommodations ranging from deluxe studios to stunning retreats. There are health and wellness programs. There’s a luxury spa. And then there’s golf, on a pair of courses, the Remarkables and Coronet, that co-host the New Zealand Open. Championship tests from the back tees, both layouts are also flexible enough to be resort-friendly, in arresting surroundings, with the Remarkables mountains and Arrow River valley serving as memorable backdrops.
Noosa Springs Golf & Spa Resort (NEW)
Queensland, Australia
Located in Australia’s Sunshine Coast, Noosa Springs Golf & Spa Resort offers golf, a world-class spa and refined dining against a wonderfully bucolic Down Under backdrop. The golf course, Noosa Springs, weaves through 10 freshwater lakes, including Lake Weyba. Accommodations are comfortable and spacious and come complete with a full kitchen. There’s also a pool and tennis courts on the property, a short distance from the beach.
Rosewood Cape Kidnappers
Te Awanga, New Zealand
No golf bucket list is complete without a trip to Cape Kidnappers. Tom Doak’s design, a fixture on GOLF’s World Top 100, is set on bluffs some 400 feet above Hawke’s Bay, with a back nine that counts among the most visually stunning stretches in the game. Holes weave through finger cliffs that are prime for photo opportunities. Accommodations are as alluring as the course, with luxurious suites and a graceful lodge serving spot-on, locally inspired cuisine and fine wines, many from Hawke’s Bay, a renowned grape-growing region. The resort itself is ringed by 2,500 acres of conservation land, maintained to preserve native Kiwi birds and other endangered species. Guests can tour the sanctuary with guides for an immersive experience. And if you really want to get your hands dirty, join the property farm team for a day of sheepherding. A must-visit for the adventurous golfer.
Joann Dost
Rosewood Kauri Cliffs
Matauri Bay, New Zealand
Some golfers will go to the ends of the earth for a game. Waiting for them there is the Lodge at Kauri Cliffs. Set on 6,000 rolling and remote acres of forest and farmland on the North Island of New Zealand, the ultra-luxe oceanside resort — opened in 2001 by American financier Julian Robertson — put a marker down for high-end golf in the country, paving the way for Top 100 World outposts at Cape Kidnappers (another Robertson property), Tara Iti and Te Arai. A few years ago, GOLF described designer David Harman’s gorgeous Kauri Cliffs course as “basically Kapalua meets Pebble Beach.” The resort’s non-golf amenities go above and beyond. In four-bedroom residences (buddies trip, anyone?) guests can have their meals prepared by a personal chef. Resort-provided e-bikes will take you to waterfalls, beaches or along forested trails and farm roads lined with cattle and sheep. A shaded path just up the road from the lodge leads to a 900-year-old Kauri tree. Surf? For that, there’s Takou Beach. Fish? Reel in a New Zealand snapper and they’ll plate it for you that night at dinner. Perhaps you’d just settle for a post-round cocktail on one of the main lodge’s lush verandas. When you’re at the end of earth, why not?
Te Arai Links
Tomarata, New Zealand
Imagine a coastal setting worthy of a postcard, on the North Island of New Zealand where the ocean washes against alabaster beaches, giving way to unspoiled dunes and pines. Two stellar courses sit on this canvas, both by modern-minimalist masters. The South Course, a Coore-Crenshaw design, works over ridges and into valleys, with 16 holes offering water views and eight sitting hard by the sea. The North Course, by Tom Doak, provides its greatest drama on inland holes, where the terrain has been likened to Pine Valley. In look and feel, the resort matches the courses — upscale but understated, with eco-conscious accommodations that blend into their surroundings.
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