Planning a golf trip this year?
We've got some ideas. Our decades of experience visiting and evaluating the world's best golf courses, destinations and resorts has given us a pretty good idea of what golfers want when it comes to the places they play, at home and especially on vacation.
But it's not only our expertise being put to work. We also aggregate hundreds of thousands of golf course reviews each year from golfers like you from courses across the world. These reviews come together as part of our annual Golfers' Choice lists, which provide a snapshot of the golf courses that you and your peers are enjoying the most.
Many courses that earned acclaim on our 2023 Golfers' Choice lists - nationwide, state-by-state and according to several sub-categories like Friendliest Golf Courses, Best Value, Best Layout and more - should be on your radar for any upcoming trip, from a long weekend to a buddies getaway to an extended family vacation.
GolfPass' golf vacations department helps golfers coordinate trips every day, and many of the packages they promote include rounds at Golfers' Choice-honored courses. Here are 10 such packages that might fit your travel plans this year:
Alabama: Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
Of the 20 courses that made Alabama's Golfers' Choice best-of list for 2023, seven of them are part of the state-wide Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. One of the best of the Trail's sites is Cambrian Ridge, located just outside the town of Greenville. It ranked #1 in the state this year; its Sherling and Canyon nines wind around lakes and careen over ravines, with a hilltop clubhouse lording over the challenging, uphill 9th and 18th holes.
Click here to browse all Alabama golf packages.
Arizona: Whirlwind golf trip through the desert
One of America's hottest destinations, Arizona has seen its most sought-after golf courses' green fees soar recently, with the likes of TPC Scottsdale demanding more than $500 for a round in peak season. Packaging lodging with golf has never been more important to maximizing value for your golf travel dollar, especially in the desert. GolfPass partners with Troon Golf Vacations on several packages to the Valley of the Sun. The Phoenix Ironman Package includes six rounds in total, including at Whirlwind Golf Club, whose Cattail (#23) and Devil's Claw (#19) courses rank among Arizona's top 25 golf courses.
Click here to browse all Arizona golf packages.
Arkansas: Play one of America's hidden gems
El Dorado, Arkansas is a little off the beaten path, but it is home to the semi-private Mystic Creek Golf Club, which has been a fixture on recent Golfers' Choice lists. It currently ranks #2 on Arkansas' best-in-state list. It opened in 2013 to relatively little fanfare but it consistently receives rave reviews. Visitors to Mystic Creek can parlay their rounds there with a stay at a hotel that is part of Hilton's Tapestry Collection.
California: Stay and play at a PGA Tour stop
The greater Lake Tahoe area is home to beautiful mountain scenery, moderate summer temperatures and some great golf. The PGA Tour's Barracuda Championship visits the Jack Nicklaus-designed Old Greenwood Golf Club, as does the Best of Truckee Stay & Play package, which gives golfers access not just to Old Greenwood, #2 on our latest California list, but also Coyote Moon Golf Club, which is #16. The Golf Club at Gray's Crossing rounds out the itinerary.
California: Bucket-list golf at Pebble Beach
Every avid golfer has to get to Pebble Beach at least once, right? The famed seaside classic ranked #11 on our California list and features in several packages.
Click here to browse all California golf packages.
Florida: Stay & play at TPC Sawgrass
The home of the PGA Tour's flagship event doubles as a bucket-list-type golf destination, and as maximum green fees skyrocket past $800 at times on the Players Stadium course, its companion Dye's Valley course looks more and more attractive to many visiting golfers. It ranked #6 on this year's Top 50 U.S. Courses list, and claims the top spot on our Florida Golfers' Choice list. The associated Sawgrass Marriott resort keeps investing in its product.
Florida: Tiburon hosts pros and Joes
Both of Tiburon's golf courses - the Black (#4) and Gold (#10) rank among the top 10 in Florida, and the on-site Ritz-Carlton resort is one of Florida's most luxurious. Tiburon hosts LPGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions events each year.
Click here to browse all Florida golf packages.
Montana: Golf in the wilderness
Big Sky Country is also home to some spectacular golf, and #1 on Montana's Golfers' Choice list is the Wilderness Club, a Nick Faldo design at the center of an acclaimed community and resort.
New Jersey: Seaview stay & play
Seaview is a historic resort not far from Atlantic City. Its Bay Course, ranked #18 on New Jersey's Golfers' Choice list, hosts the LPGA Tour's Shop-Rite Classic each year and offers scenic views across Reeds Bay.
South Carolina: Kiawah Island rules
Among beachcombers, Kiawah Island is hard to beat. Among avid traveling golfers, the Ocean Course is a must-play. Sounds like a perfect vacation opportunity, doesn't it? Not only does the Ocean Course (#11) feature on South Carolina's Golfers' Choice list, Kiawah's Oak Point (#16), Osprey Point (#12) and Cougar Point (#7) courses do, too.
