You golf, they don’t. They golf, you don’t. Whatever way the relationship swings, don’t call the holiday off. The world’s best golf resorts are up for the challenge, in fact, they’re designed to tee up more than just rounds. While golf is obviously an individual sport, we turned this story into a team effort, with Kiwi Collection Co-Founder and President Brian Mumby, an avid golfer, chipping in with his course knowledge. Whether you’re traveling for the 18 holes or a whole lot of anything but, these 10 golf getaways are guaranteed to please golfers and non-golfers alike.
PGA National Resort
Golfers: At PGA National Resort, you’ll play The Champion, naturally, it’s the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic host course, after all. But choose your tees wisely. Playing it from the tips like the pros, might not bode well. Watching the best golfers in the world take on The Bear Trap on TV doesn’t give anywhere near an appreciation of how difficult it can be. Good thing there are three other championship courses here, plus a course designed specifically for a quicker match-style experience, and a delightful 9 hole, par 3.
Non-golfers: With a recent renovation to the tune of $100 million, the resort’s refreshed rooms and cottages are 1960s Palm Beach chic—so pack your Mad Men-esque best for a Slim Aarons-style photoshoot. Then there’s a 33,000-square-foot Sports & Racquet Club with a five-lane lap pool and nearly every kind of exercise modality; 40,000-square-foot spa serving up massages, facials and beauty services; and even an ice cream parlour. Sunning yourself by the sprawling resort pool, piña colada in hand, for hours on end is also time well spent.
Hotel Effie Sandestin
Golfers: Offering great value and convenience, a golf package at Hotel Effie Sandestin ensures you get in all the golf you’re looking for. With access to Raven Golf Club, which has hosted the pros from both the Champions Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour, plus three more championship courses to choose from, this Miramar Beach golf destination is ideal for snowbirds looking to get an early start on the golf season. With an abundance of water hazards to test your game, be sure to pack an extra box (or two) of balls.
Non-golfers: With the others out hitting the links, you can soak up the rays and views out into the Gulf of Mexico from the only rooftop hotel pool on the Emerald Coast—there’s even a life-size chess board up there. Get closer to the waves by shuttling to the property’s sister resort and its seven miles of white sand. Then indulge in a sea-inspired treatment back at Spa Lilliana, before meeting up for dinner with the crew at signature restaurant Ovide by James Beard award-winning chef Hugh Acheson. Four-legged friends are welcome at the resort too and have their very own Bark Park.
SO/ Sotogrande
Golfers: Almenara, the on-resort course at SO/ Sotogrande, features three distinct 9 hole layouts. The wide fairways of the Lagos Course wind through pine trees and around a lake. The Cork Oaks Course runs through, you guessed it, Cork Oaks. Again through pine trees but with narrow fairways, the Pinos Course is absent of pesky water hazards. After you’ve conquered these layouts, you’ll want to venture a bit farther out since the resort is in the heart of some of the best courses in Spain. World-renowned Real Club Valderrama is a relative chip-shot away and a must-play while you’re in the area.
Non-golfers: The game of golf is old, but this Andalusian resort is super fresh. While the walls and bed linens are crisp white, there are joyful pops of color, thanks to swimwear icon Dolores Cortes having a hand in the design. It’s also fully loaded, with indoor and outdoor pools, four restaurants and bars, and a 30,000-square-foot spa. Off-the-green experiences include hikes through Los Alcornocales Natural Park and dolphin sightseeing in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Conrad Algarve
Golfers: Portugal is a popular destination and golfing the Algarve should be on every golfer’s bucket list. Conrad Algarve has two courses at Quinto do Lago. The North Course had an extensive redesign and investment in 2014 and the tight Bermuda grass around the greens will add confidence to your chipping. Try the South Course to see which one you most want to play again—they’ll be competing for your attention against many other excellent courses within easy reach of the resort.
Non-golfers: There are plenty of ways to spend the days here. Sun and sip by the pool. Cycle through Ria Formosa Nature Park to get to beautiful Faro Beach. Hop aboard a wooden fishing boat to learn the old secrets of clam picking. Wine taste at a local vineyard. If you really want to splash out, book the Infinity Penthouse with Private Pool, which, as the name implies, has a pool right in the heart of it—below a retractable roof—as well as its own foot bridge to the hotel spa. Butler service, that too.
Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya
Golfers: El Camaleón Golf Course winds through the resorts of Mayakoba with holes 1, 2 and 3 right alongside Andaz Mayakoba. This destination golf course has hosted the pros from the PGA Tour since 2007. The mangrove lined fairways of El Camaleón demand control of your driving game—forget about looking for those wayward balls. There are also holes that jut out to the beach for great ocean views and the challenge of coastal breezes. You can feel particularly good about your round knowing that you’re playing on an Audubon International-certified Cooperative Sanctuary course.
Non-golfers: Consistently rated one of the best in Mexico, the verdant, oceanfront resort is simultaneously tucked away while being only a 10-minute drive from bustling Playa del Carmen. On property, start the day with sunrise beach yoga, snack on ceviche without leaving your lounge chair thanks to Tinta del Pulpo’s poolside service and leisurely eco-cruise through the lagoon. If you’re bringing the kids, drop them off at Kimbo Kids Club before heading out for a snorkel or Seabob, which, if you’ve never tried, is the sleek, speedy underwater personal watercraft popularized in the Bond film Thunderball.
Constance Lemuria
Golfers: The Seychelles is synonymous with water pursuits, but there’s also golf to dip into. Lemuria Golf Course is the only 18-hole golf course in the Seychelles, and Constance Lemuria is the best way to experience it. Enjoy complimentary green fees and immediate access with the course backing right onto the resort. At 6,135 yards and par 70, this is the type of course you’re looking for on an island retreat: full challenge but not overwhelming.
Non-golfers: As stated above, this isn’t your typical golf destination, so if you don’t take pleasure in swinging clubs, you’re golden, as in no-polo-shirt-tan-lines golden. Once you’ve topped up on rays, get into the water—the island nation is one of the world’s best dive sites thanks to strict conservation efforts. Refresh salty, sun-baked skin at the spa, then toast to your adventures—alright, and their game—at The Nest as the sun makes a final flourish over the Indian Ocean.
The Tides Inn
Golfers: Tree-lined fairways and natural water hazards make Golden Eagle Golf Course at The Tides Inn a pleasure to play. At 6,511 yards, this George W. Cobb design (think Par 3 course at Augusta) uses the natural terrain to maximum advantage, providing lots of elevation changes and isolation of each hole from another. Only a short three-mile drive from the Inn, a shuttle will get you there and back in minutes.
Non-golfers: On Chesapeake Bay, this utterly charming property feels like a Hallmark-movie or Nicholas Sparks-novel setting come to life. Take a pottery class with the resident artist, stroll into town to visit historic sites, play a game of croquet on the lawn and, to end the day, slurp up oysters at Fish Hawk Oyster Bar seated at a picnic table overlooking the ebb and flow of Carter’s Creek.
Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort
Golfers: Standing on the veranda of the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club, you can see several holes roll out before you with the Pacific Ocean as the ultimate backdrop. This Robert Trent Jones-designed par 70 course will challenge the average golfer but provide an enjoyable and memorable experience. The pro shop is only a few steps from your accommodation, so after the round you’re right there for a refreshment at Club 19 (perhaps a Club 19 Palmer to rehydrate) or a refreshing dip in the pool.
Non-golfers: You’re on the California coast, you must beach, and the resort has its own private club right on the sand equipped with everything you need for seaside recreation or relaxation. Seven different spots for dining and drinking ensure one’s palate is also kept entertained. There are also three pools; wellness workshops and fitness classes regularly scheduled; boutiques; and a sumptuous spa—and that’s just on-property.
Verdura Resort
Golfers: Sicily delightfully surprises as a golf destination, with two of the most highly rated Italian courses at Verdura Resort. Both are big courses; the East Course at 7,396 yards and par 73 is a beast, and the West Course at 7,160 yards and par 70 is only slightly less mammoth. Select the appropriate tees and soak up the Mediterranean views. The greens are large, befitting a long course susceptible to coastal winds, and they are undulating, but they’ll roll true. Take solace in the 9 hole, par 3 course to rebuild some confidence if needed.
Non-golfers: Just like its courses, the resort isn’t small. Taking up just under 600 acres of Mediterranean coastline, the idyllic property is dotted with olive and orange groves. There is a 43,000-square-foot spa, six nosh spots, six clay tennis courts and a private beach. The sea view suites with pools offer the sweetest just-leave-me-here setup, but this is Sicily so there are many reasons to venture off the grounds—let the resort’s local insider, Pierfilippo, give you all the intel beyond what you picked up from season two of The White Lotus.
Tortuga Bay Puntacana Resort & Club
Golfers: With 45 holes of golf from two renowned designers, the Dominican Republic’s Tortuga Bay Puntacana Resort & Club is a true golf destination. Mix and match three 9 holes on P.B. Dye’s La Cana Golf Club, or 18 holes on Tom Fazio’s Corales Golf Club. Both offer plenty of oceanside holes with spectacular Caribbean views. Immaculately maintained, La Cana was the first course in the Caribbean to use paspalum grass, a strain that is resistant to sea water.
Non-golfers: Along with golf clout, the resort has fashion cachet—Dominican-American fashion designer Oscar de la Renta dressed the villas here and the sprawling tennis center is named after him. Holidaying in style extends to all its other offerings too. Indulge in treatments at the Six Senses Spa, head out on a helitour, take an equestrian class, sail off on a sunset cruise and feast on fresh seafood right above the water at La Yola Restaurant. Es perfecto.
