U.S. golf trip destinations by region
Start with where your group can realistically get to, then pick the trip. Each region has its own season, so match the region to your dates.
Northeast
New York, New England · Season: Mid-May through early October.
Turning Stone
Three championship courses, including a former PGA Tour venue, plus a casino and resort under one roof.
Bethpage State Park
Five public courses on Long Island, led by the Black, a U.S. Open, PGA Championship and Ryder Cup venue.
Cape Cod
Dozens of public courses, seaside towns and seafood. The New England summer golf trip, best in the shoulder season before and after the beach crowds.
Peek'n Peak
A ski resort in the far southwest corner of New York with a championship Upper Course that hosted Web.com Tour events. Pair it with Chautauqua Golf Club's 36 holes about a half hour away for a compact, low-cost trip.
Lake George & Saratoga
A Donald Ross course above Lake George anchors the north end of the trip, and Saratoga Springs adds a Roger Rulewich design, a 27-hole state park facility and one of the country's oldest racetracks.
Mid-Atlantic
Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland · Season: April through October. Spring and fall are best.
Nemacolin
Two Pete Dye designs in the Laurel Highlands. Golf is for resort guests and members, so the stay comes first.
The Greenbrier
A grand old resort with PGA Tour and Ryder Cup history, a casino, and enough golf for a full long weekend.
Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg with LPGA and Robert Trent Jones golf nearby. An easy, affordable trip for East Coast groups.
Southeast
The Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama · Season: Spring and fall are peak. Florida is best November–April.
Pinehurst
The "Cradle of American Golf." Pinehurst No. 2 is the U.S. Open's first anchor site, with Opens in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047. Ten resort courses now, an eleventh opening in March 2027, and more Donald Ross golf a few minutes away.
Myrtle Beach
More than 80 courses, condo packages and a deep bench of package operators.
Kiawah Island
The Ocean Course, a Ryder Cup and PGA Championship venue, anchors five resort courses on a barrier island near Charleston.
Sea Island
Three courses on Georgia's Golden Isles, including the two that host the PGA Tour's RSM Classic. Golf here comes with a stay at the resort.
Hilton Head
Harbour Town, home of the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage, plus more than 20 courses on and around the island.
Streamsong
Three acclaimed courses on reclaimed phosphate land in central Florida. Sand dunes and big greens, nothing like typical Florida golf.
Ponte Vedra & TPC Sawgrass
TPC Sawgrass's Stadium Course and the island-green 17th, plus beach-town golf around Jacksonville.
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
More than two dozen courses across 11 sites in Alabama. Big-time golf at a public-course price, ideal for a road trip.
Charleston
Kiawah's Ocean Course, host of the 1991 Ryder Cup and two PGA Championships, sits about an hour from Charleston's walkable historic downtown. A renovated muni and a harbor course keep the trip from being all splurge rounds.
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
Alabama's Gulf Coast pairs beach houses that sleep big groups with Jerry Pate's Kiva Dunes and the state's only Arnold Palmer courses. The Flora-Bama on the state line handles the nights.
Reynolds Lake Oconee
Five resort courses by Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Rees Jones and Bob Cupp on a big Georgia lake, with The Ritz-Carlton as the front door. Golf comes with a stay.
Orlando
Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill, two Orange County National 18s, Nicklaus golf at Grand Cypress, ChampionsGate and Disney's courses, all within about an hour of Orlando International.
Midwest
Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri, Indiana, Nebraska · Season: May through October.
Kohler & Whistling Straits
Whistling Straits, a Ryder Cup and PGA Championship venue on Lake Michigan, plus Blackwolf Run, all run by Destination Kohler.
Sand Valley
From the Bandon Dunes team: sand-based, walking-first golf in central Wisconsin. Four 18-hole courses, the 12-hole Commons, a par-3 course and a putting course.
Northern Michigan
Lake Michigan bluffs, northern woods and dozens of resort courses. Long summer days mean 36 holes is easy.
Big Cedar Lodge
Six courses in the Ozarks: three full 18s by Tiger Woods, Coore & Crenshaw and Tom Fazio, plus three par-3 courses by Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris that are perfect for groups.
French Lick
A hilltop Pete Dye course and a restored Donald Ross course, plus two historic hotels and a casino.
Lake Geneva
A lake resort town between Chicago and Milwaukee with two multi-course golf resorts: Grand Geneva (36 holes plus an 11-hole short course) and Geneva National (54 holes). Groups can stay on property and play everything without a long drive.
Nebraska Sand Hills
Natural dunes golf in the middle of the country. The Prairie Club offers two big 18s and a 10-hole short course with stay-and-play, and two Axland and Proctor public courses sit to the south. Sand Hills and Dismal River are private.
Southwest & Mountain
Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Texas · Season: October through April. Summer is very hot and cheap.
Scottsdale
Dozens of desert courses, easy nonstop flights from most U.S. cities, and Old Town nightlife. The default winter golf trip.
Las Vegas
Nonstops from almost everywhere, world-class nightlife and a few genuinely great courses. Bachelor parties and big birthdays.
St. George
Red-rock desert golf near Zion, led by Black Desert Resort, a PGA Tour stop since 2024. Far cheaper than Scottsdale.
Tucson
Desert resort golf at the foot of the Santa Catalina and Tucson Mountains, with Tom Fazio's Ventana Canyon courses, two layouts at Omni Tucson National, 27 holes at Starr Pass and a historic city-run course.
Dallas-Fort Worth & PGA Frisco
PGA Frisco is home to the PGA of America and Fields Ranch East, host of the 2027 PGA Championship. Pair it with a lighted par-3 course, a giant putting course and a few strong public rounds around the Metroplex.
Texas Hill Country
Limestone creeks, waterfalls and big elevation change between Austin and San Antonio. Omni Barton Creek has four courses, Horseshoe Bay has three Robert Trent Jones Sr. courses, and San Antonio adds two former Valero Texas Open venues.
Houston
A city muni that hosts both the PGA Tour's Houston Open and the LPGA's first major of the year, plus a restored early-1900s course, a replica course and a two-course resort in The Woodlands.
The Broadmoor
A grand 1918 resort at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain with two championship courses built from Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones Sr. holes. The East Course has hosted nine USGA championships, and golf here is for hotel guests and members.
Vail Valley & Summit County
Summer golf in Colorado's ski towns: two Red Sky courses by Tom Fazio and Greg Norman, Beaver Creek in its canyon, and 63 public and resort holes in Summit County. Base in the Vail Valley and day-trip over Vail Pass.
Park City & Salt Lake City
Four state park 18s in the Heber Valley, a ski-resort course in Park City and classic city golf in Salt Lake, all within an hour of a major hub airport. Main Street covers the evenings.
West Coast & Hawaii
Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii · Season: It varies: Bandon is best in summer, the desert in winter, and Hawaii all year.
Bandon Dunes
Five 18-hole links courses and two par-3 courses on the southern Oregon coast. Walking only, with caddies if you want them. Golf here is built around groups who come to play 36 a day.
Pebble Beach & Monterey
Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay, plus a famous cheap muni next door. The once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Palm Springs
More than 100 courses across the Coachella Valley, from PGA West's Stadium Course to value desert rounds. Strong winter weather.
Maui
Kapalua's Plantation Course, the PGA Tour's season opener through 2025, plus Wailea and Kaanapali resort golf.
San Diego
A coastal city built around Torrey Pines, the city-owned U.S. Open venue on the bluffs at La Jolla, with resort and public options from Carlsbad to Coronado.
Gamble Sands
Two David McLay Kidd 18s above the Columbia River in Central Washington, plus a 14-hole short course and a giant putting course. Both 18s won Golf Digest's Best New Public award.
Bend
Nearly 30 courses within about an hour of Bend, including three on Golf Digest's 100 Greatest Public list. Mountain views, sunny days and a big brewery scene after the round.