Ranking Golf Trips

[icegator337]

Me and my golf group are doing an annual trip (all early 30's).  We've done Innisbrook, Scottsdale, Sea Island, and Big Cedar so far.  We've already committed to Bandon as our 10 year anniversary trip, but we're all over the place for other trips we'd like to go on.  So I'm wondering if those of you who've gone on a number of trips throughout the country can rank your experiences at different locations.  We'd be interested in going anywhere, but the locations we've discussed lately are Biloxi, Myrtle Beach, Northern Michigan, St. George, Sand Valley, Frisco, Streamsong...

[Chanceman]

RTJ Trail, Texas (Dallas. Austin, San Antonio), Palm Springs, New England and maybe Colorado. At least they are the ones I would look at.

[FuzzyKnuckles]

1. Whistling Straits, Erin Hills, Blackwolf - Wisconsin

2. Streamsong and Bay Hill

 

We had a lot of fun at the two above recently

Kohler and Sand valley are two different trips most likely, which would give you two years of content there

Also could do Kiawah, Pinehurst

[ND2005]

Sticking to the US

 

I would rank it: 

 

1. Bandon - It is just the best, period. Nowhere else has that many truly outstanding golf courses. Lodging is fine - it is functional but not luxurious but honestly all you really want is a place to crash after a long day of walking. 

2. Sand Valley - Feels like a more homey version of Bandon - smaller and more intimate. But getting bigger rapidly. Now with 3 and soon to be 4 courses, it is just a fantastic experience. 

3. Pinehurst - The tradition and history are fantastic. My only problem with the resort is that after #2 and #4 the quality of the golf courses drops off significantly. Now that they have #10 opening up, hopefully that gives them a third truly elite course. The hotels are old, but they are in the middle of a multi-year renovation plan for all of them. You also have access to other great courses in the area. If you have the opportunity to pair this up with a stay at Dormie, your whole experience goes up a notch and I might bump it to #2 (but you pay a lot more...)

4. Pebble - I have this ranked lower primarily due to cost, you could do two trips to the others for the cost of one trip to Pebble. But worth doing at least once in life. 

5. Sea Island - Another expensive one...but great set up, I really love the seaside course. 

6. Streamsong - Golf is fantastic, love the courses. But something always seems to go wrong - service, food, conditions - something. Hotel is monolithic and not a great set up for buddies trips.

7. Kiawah - Beautiful hotel and island, house rental is an option. But realistically it is the Ocean course and then 4 other very overpriced tracks. 

8. Hilton Head - The Sea Pines courses are just ridiculously expensive at this point. Harbor Town is worth playing but the current rate is very hard to swallow if you've played it before.

 

I haven't yet been to Kohler; I had to cancel a trip to Big Cedar. I've played a lot of other one-off courses on travels but I limited the list largely to resort/multi-course destinations. Omni Barton Creek and PGA Frisco are next up on the list for 2024

Edited December 21, 2023 by ND2005

[ND2005]

 Duplicate

Edited December 21, 2023 by ND2005

[ChrisGio315]

Heading to Innisbrook in April for the first time. Doing Copperhead, Island and South. Looking to do a course before those 3 - any suggestions? Any thoughts on Innisbrook as a trip?

[miss0033]

North Carolina without Pinehurst?

 

Tobacco Road, Tot Hill Farm (recent restoration), Mid Pines, Pine Needles, Southern Pines, and Lonnie Poole was one of my favorite trips, and very affordable compared to other places we looked at.  I also promise that you are not likely to forget your rounds at Tobacco Road.

 

Pinehurst has just become way to expensive for me.  You have to stay there, the lodging is very expensive, over half the courses on property are forgettable...

[sabram]

A lot of it depends on your budget and whether you want a resort with on site courses or a city or region with lots of golf options. I've been on golf trips in 48 states at all price points. The Pinehurst region is a great option. As mentioned above, you don't even need to play any of the Pinehurst Resort courses as there are so many other nearby options.

 

Bandon, Sand Valley, Kohler, Streamsong, Pebble, the Broadmoor, the Greenbrier among others are great resorts with golf that I've visited. But they are generally quite expensive. 

 

For buddies trips, I usually prefer picking a region that has lots of good golf options and playing a variety of courses. In addition the the sandhills near Pinehurst mentioned above, Northern Michigan, Myrtle Beach, Vegas/Mesquite/St George, Phx/Scottsdale , Biloxi MS, Saratoga Springs NY, Orlando, Williamsburg/Richmond, and Minneapolis/ St Paul have lots of fun golf choices that make for a great trip 

Edited December 22, 2023 by sabram
Fix typos

[Dancin]

3 hours ago, ChrisGio315 said:

Heading to Innisbrook in April for the first time. Doing Copperhead, Island and South. Looking to do a course before those 3 - any suggestions? Any thoughts on Innisbrook as a trip?

Been to Innisbrook 3 times. I won't be going back. The courses are ok but the lodging is still 1970s style despite the upgrades they have made inside them to improve it. You're basically in a (cheaper) older person retirement community, so no real nightlife. For what they charge, it's not a great deal.

[StudentGolfer4]

Forest Dunes is very very high on my list. Perfect for a buddies group. A bit less upscale than some others but the golf is great and so is the setting. Golf summer camp is the best way I’ve heard it described. The fact that it wasn’t 100% packed and you could play the short course several times and the putting course was never crowded was a huge plus. (Complete opposite of Pinehurst in that regard.) I also like the loop a bit more than most people so I know that factors in. 
 

Sand Valley is elite. Great golf with 3 courses, soon to be 4, and the par 3 course. Like bandon, it needs to be booked years in advance. 
 

Pinehurst Resort. Note, my ranking is obviously before #10 and I imagine it will change afterwards. Great resort, logistics are great, outside or #2 and #4 the golf doesn’t measure up. (I imagine this changes with #10)
 

French Lick. The Dye and Ross course are really good. Valley course isn’t worth playing unless you only have time for 9. Not much to do after golf outside of the casino. Much better for a trip with your significant other than wife. 
 

My rankings. 
1a) Sand Valley

1b) Forest Dunes

3) Pinehurst 

4) French Lick 

 

These are not including costs. If you can combine a Pinehurst resort trip with Mid Pines, Southern Pines, and Pine Needles I imagine the quality of golf would increase tremendously. 

 

[monty09]

16 hours ago, ND2005 said:

Sticking to the US

 

I would rank it: 

 

1. Bandon - It is just the best, period. Nowhere else has that many truly outstanding golf courses. Lodging is fine - it is functional but not luxurious but honestly all you really want is a place to crash after a long day of walking. 

2. Sand Valley - Feels like a more homey version of Bandon - smaller and more intimate. But getting bigger rapidly. Now with 3 and soon to be 4 courses, it is just a fantastic experience. 

3. Pinehurst - The tradition and history are fantastic. My only problem with the resort is that after #2 and #4 the quality of the golf courses drops off significantly. Now that they have #10 opening up, hopefully that gives them a third truly elite course. The hotels are old, but they are in the middle of a multi-year renovation plan for all of them. You also have access to other great courses in the area. If you have the opportunity to pair this up with a stay at Dormie, your whole experience goes up a notch and I might bump it to #2 (but you pay a lot more...)

4. Pebble - I have this ranked lower primarily due to cost, you could do two trips to the others for the cost of one trip to Pebble. But worth doing at least once in life. 

5. Sea Island - Another expensive one...but great set up, I really love the seaside course. 

6. Streamsong - Golf is fantastic, love the courses. But something always seems to go wrong - service, food, conditions - something. Hotel is monolithic and not a great set up for buddies trips.

7. Kiawah - Beautiful hotel and island, house rental is an option. But realistically it is the Ocean course and then 4 other very overpriced tracks. 

8. Hilton Head - The Sea Pines courses are just ridiculously expensive at this point. Harbor Town is worth playing but the current rate is very hard to swallow if you've played it before.

 

I haven't yet been to Kohler; I had to cancel a trip to Big Cedar. I've played a lot of other one-off courses on travels but I limited the list largely to resort/multi-course destinations. Omni Barton Creek and PGA Frisco are next up on the list for 2024

 

 

agree to this one... nice work 

[mikedejong33]

Here are my rankings of trips I have done:

 

1. Bandon: like others have said, its simply the best. 5 world class courses all at the same resort, each one gets better than the last you played. Its the ultimate buddies golf trip.
2. Scotland: we did 5 days at St Andrews and 5 days in Inverness (played Dornoch, Castle Stuart, etc.). Everything is amazing, even the drives between courses.
3. Cabo: played Diamante, Quivira, etc. Tougher to get on some of the courses, but none the less, its world class links golf with perfect weather on the ocean. Several great courses, and fishing, etc.
4. Southern Pines, NC: we have never even stepped foot on Pinehurst resort, but we go to Southern Pines almost every spring. The outlying courses are amazing and reasonably priced as stated by a previous post.
5. Alberta/BC Rockies: so many good mountain courses: Banff, Jasper, Canmore courses, then into Invermere, BC for several more. Worth a trip for the mountain golf for sure.
6. Palm Springs / Phoenix: weather is always great, but it is just getting too expensive, and there are only a few great courses. I have a hard time justifying paying double what we used to pay for mediocre courses a couple years ago.

[SAlderson16]

I would second Forest Dunes as a legitimate guys trip. Don't need to, but if you can group Arcadia Bluffs with Forest Dunes, it makes for a heck of a Michigan experience. 

 

Located in the Mid Atlantic, I'd offer the following around here. Not saying they are better than the obvious top 5, but worth exploring if you're interesting in exploring new areas. 

 

Ocean City Maryland

Atlantic City NJ

Williamsburg Va

Pocono Mountains in Pa

[miss0033]

17 hours ago, sabram said:

For buddies trips, I usually prefer picking a region that has lots of good golf options and playing a variety of courses. In addition the the sandhills near Pinehurst mentioned above, Northern Michigan, Myrtle Beach, Vegas/Mesquite/St George, Phx/Scottsdale , Biloxi MS, Saratoga Springs NY, Orlando, Williamsburg/Richmond, and Minneapolis/ St Paul have lots of fun golf choices that make for a great trip 

 

Northern MN has some sneaky good options as well.  Head of the play The Quarry at Giant's Ridge, and The Legend at Giant's Ridge.  They run a "37 Hole Special" during the summer where you can play both courses and get a lunch included for something like $208.  It is a pretty good deal.  The Quarry is a Top 50 public USA course.  In my humble opinion, it is the best public course in Minnesota.  Add to it The Wilderness at Fortune Bay, and if you can squeeze in a side jaunt over to Superior National at Lutsen you can play some really great public golf courses.  It is probably a bit more driving than some want to do on a buddies trip, but would be very affordable, would please a wide array of skill levels, and offer some unique options.

[icegator337]

19 hours ago, ChrisGio315 said:

Heading to Innisbrook in April for the first time. Doing Copperhead, Island and South. Looking to do a course before those 3 - any suggestions? Any thoughts on Innisbrook as a trip?

We enjoyed Innisbrook.  The lodging is definitely very dated.  I'm not sure when Cabot Citrus Farms opens, but if it's open when you're there then that's definitely one to look into for an extra round.  I wouldn't bother with the north course if it's still open.  It's way behind copperhead, Island and South course imo.  If you want to eat at the steak house book reservations in advance, we had trouble getting a table.  TPC tampa bay and streamsong would be the other courses you could look at for an extra round, but none are convenient to Innisbrook.

[mci711]

4 hours ago, mikedejong33 said:

Here are my rankings of trips I have done:

 

1. Bandon: like others have said, its simply the best. 5 world class courses all at the same resort, each one gets better than the last you played. Its the ultimate buddies golf trip.
2. Scotland: we did 5 days at St Andrews and 5 days in Inverness (played Dornoch, Castle Stuart, etc.). Everything is amazing, even the drives between courses.
3. Cabo: played Diamante, Quivira, etc. Tougher to get on some of the courses, but none the less, its world class links golf with perfect weather on the ocean. Several great courses, and fishing, etc.
4. Southern Pines, NC: we have never even stepped foot on Pinehurst resort, but we go to Southern Pines almost every spring. The outlying courses are amazing and reasonably priced as stated by a previous post.
5. Alberta/BC Rockies: so many good mountain courses: Banff, Jasper, Canmore courses, then into Invermere, BC for several more. Worth a trip for the mountain golf for sure.
6. Palm Springs / Phoenix: weather is always great, but it is just getting too expensive, and there are only a few great courses. I have a hard time justifying paying double what we used to pay for mediocre courses a couple years ago.

 

Bandon ahead of Scotland is blasphemy. 

[sabram]

9 hours ago, miss0033 said:

Northern MN has some sneaky good options as well.  Head of the play The Quarry at Giant's Ridge, and The Legend at Giant's Ridge.  They run a "37 Hole Special" during the summer where you can play both courses and get a lunch included for something like $208.  It is a pretty good deal.  The Quarry is a Top 50 public USA course.  In my humble opinion, it is the best public course in Minnesota.  Add to it The Wilderness at Fortune Bay, and if you can squeeze in a side jaunt over to Superior National at Lutsen you can play some really great public golf courses.  It is probably a bit more driving than some want to do on a buddies trip, but would be very affordable, would please a wide array of skill levels, and offer some unique options.

100% true.  But I wasn't thinking of that far north though. The metro twin cities area has a dozen or more very good public golf options that travelers don't often think about.  Stone Ridge, Troy Burne, Keller, Chaska, Braemar, The Wilds, Rush Creek, Willingers, just to name a few of the best

[Octopus Golfer]

1. Scotland 

2. Pebble

3. Kiawah

4. Pinehurst

5. Scottsdale

6. Arcadia Bluffs/Northern Michigan

7. Palm Springs

8. Torrey

[ND2005]

22 hours ago, mci711 said:

 

Bandon ahead of Scotland is blasphemy. 

I limited my rankings to US destinations only to avoid stuff like this. 
 

however…as “blasphemous” as it may be. I will go to Bandon 5 times for every 1 time I go to Scotland. 
 
A trip to Bandon is easy. I can leave my house in the morning and be on a tee box by 3:30 pm in the summer. Once I show up to the resort everything is easy. Don’t need a car, shuttles everywhere, 5 amazing golf courses all in one place. Food and drinks all convenient and accessible. And I can do it over a long weekend trip. 
 
A trip to Scotland is hard work both planning and executing. Either have to book each individual course yourself or have to use a tour company. Getting there requires an overnight flight and a lot more $$$ and jet lag. Once you’re there you still have a lot of travel from course to course and probably at least one hotel change. And since you’ve put all this time and money into the trip you’re gonna want to do a week at least to make it worth your while. 
 
So yeah, the golf is amazing. Royal Dornoch is perhaps my favorite course I’ve ever played. 
 

But since I last went to Scotland? I’ve been to Bandon twice, Pinehurst twice, Kiawah, Streamsong, Hilton Head - and I’ll be back to Bandon at least another couple of times before I mount the effort for another run at Scotland. 
 
 

[sabram]

1 hour ago, ND2005 said:

I limited my rankings to US destinations only to avoid stuff like this. 
 

however…as “blasphemous” as it may be. I will go to Bandon 5 times for every 1 time I go to Scotland. 
 
A trip to Bandon is easy. I can leave my house in the morning and be on a tee box by 3:30 pm in the summer. Once I show up to the resort everything is easy. Don’t need a car, shuttles everywhere, 5 amazing golf courses all in one place. Food and drinks all convenient and accessible. And I can do it over a long weekend trip. 
 
A trip to Scotland is hard work both planning and executing. Either have to book each individual course yourself or have to use a tour company. Getting there requires an overnight flight and a lot more $$$ and jet lag. Once you’re there you still have a lot of travel from course to course and probably at least one hotel change. And since you’ve put all this time and money into the trip you’re gonna want to do a week at least to make it worth your while. 
 
So yeah, the golf is amazing. Royal Dornoch is perhaps my favorite course I’ve ever played. 
 

But since I last went to Scotland? I’ve been to Bandon twice, Pinehurst twice, Kiawah, Streamsong, Hilton Head - and I’ll be back to Bandon at least another couple of times before I mount the effort for another run at Scotland. 
 
 

You are an outlier.

For anyone east of the Mississippi, Bandon is not easy to get to. Scotland is easier.

Golf trips to Scotland are not hard work if the planner has any flexibility and trips to Scotland are not difficult to execute if you focus on one or two locales rather than gallivanting around the country. The travel time from the East coast is shorter and easier to Scotland than to Bandon. I love self planning my trips to Scotland. 

Since my last trip to Bandon I've been to Scotland twice, England twice and Ireland twice. All easy and fun to plan, all more memorable than Bandon as they include meeting local people, seeing sites  and experiencing culture outside of a golf resort. Those trips are not more expensive than Bandon either.

[Chanceman]

This two week trip may not be for those who dont like driving but we did a trip from Colorado to Nebraska and back pre covid.

Redlands Mesa, Ironbridge, Bear Dance, Commonground, Ballyneal, Sand Hills, Dismal River, The Prairie Club, Wild Horse and Bayside. Even without Sand Hills and Ballyneal it still would be pretty good. These days Rodeo Dunes and TPC Colorado are available and Colorado Springs is also nearby. Fossil Trace, The Ridge and Arrowhead are other good courses around Denver.

[sabram]

1 hour ago, Chanceman said:

This two week trip may not be for those who dont like driving but we did a trip from Colorado to Nebraska and back pre covid.

Redlands Mesa, Ironbridge, Bear Dance, Commonground, Ballyneal, Sand Hills, Dismal River, The Prairie Club, Wild Horse and Bayside. Even without Sand Hills and Ballyneal it still would be pretty good. These days Rodeo Dunes and TPC Colorado are available and Colorado Springs is also nearby. Fossil Trace, The Ridge and Arrowhead are other good courses around Denver.

That's definitely a fun trip if you are okay with the drive. Especially if you can get access to Ballyneal I did that trip solo about 10 years ago.

[tad950]

Reading the OP, I would suggest Kohler and Pinehurst. With an edge to Pinehurst, because of the sheer number of well regarded courses in that area.

[mci711]

I think Wisconsin is the best public trip in the US. Bandon is awesome, but Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes, The Lido, Sedge Valley (coming soon), Erin Hills, Whistling Straits, SentryWorld, etc, for me is deeper and a wider variety. 

 

Bandon and Pinehurst would round out the top 3.. Really in any order. Pasatiempo + Monterey Peninsula is a great trip. 

 

Wisconsin

Bandon

Pinehurst

Monterey + Pasa

Northern Michigan. 

 

I haven't done it, but a Nebraska trip is super appealing. 

 

I think Kiawah is kind of a let down, 1 course worth playing. Myrtle is quantity over quality. Streamsong is the only reason I would travel to FL, other than Sawgrass FL golf is 👎 I'd do Scottsdale or Palm Springs way before doing anything in FL.

 

Including outside of America, Scotland but also London. London Heathland trip is a top trip for me. 

 

[Chanceman]

24 minutes ago, mci711 said:

I think Wisconsin is the best public trip in the US. Bandon is awesome, but Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes, The Lido, Sedge Valley (coming soon), Erin Hills, Whistling Straits, SentryWorld, etc, for me is deeper and a wider variety. 

 

Bandon and Pinehurst would round out the top 3.. Really in any order. Pasatiempo + Monterey Peninsula is a great trip. 

 

Wisconsin

Bandon

Pinehurst

Monterey + Pasa

Northern Michigan. 

 

I haven't done it, but a Nebraska trip is super appealing. 

 

I think Kiawah is kind of a let down, 1 course worth playing. Myrtle is quantity over quality. Streamsong is the only reason I would travel to FL, other than Sawgrass FL golf is 👎 I'd do Scottsdale or Palm Springs way before doing anything in FL.

 

Including outside of America, Scotland but also London. London Heathland trip is a top trip for me. 

 

Add in Lawsonia to the Wisconsin list. 

[act0fgod]

7 hours ago, Chanceman said:

These days Rodeo Dunes and TPC Colorado are available

Pretty sure Rodeo Dunes isn't opening until 2025.

[sabram]

9 hours ago, mci711 said:

Myrtle is quantity over quality.

That's a common belief, but MB really has both. 90+ courses at several price points. 3 great public courses and about a dozen more very high quality courses. There is sufficient quality there for more than one trip even for most golf architecture nerds

[BG5]

Northern Michigan is amazing and there are so many good golf courses to play such as Bay Harbor, Black Lake, Treetops, Arcadia Bluffs, Forest Dunes and the list goes on an on.  You can do this trip probably alot cheaper than the rest.  I love Northern Michigan and ya have to visit it at least 1 time in your life.

 

Sand Valley is pretty amazing and is similar to Bandon Dunes but not as good.  Its def worth a trip but it wont be cheap and if I was gonna go I would make sure you can play all 5 courses or I would wait until I can

 

Streamsong is great in the winter but I would not go there above the other two....its a great option but leave that trip for a winter when you need warm weather

[supergriff34]

Pinehurst.  But stay off property. Plenty of good options in the area.  Pine needles, mid pines, southern pines, tobacco rd.  You could also try to get on ccnc or forest creek. You can go to pinehurst and sit on the patio and watch people come in 18.  Or play the cradle.  Or stay on property. Play 2,4,8,10,11.  Or mix it up and do some of both?  Good food options. Or cook out at your house.  Not a ton of nightlife.  Ill be heading back in april for my 8th trip.

Michigan has some great options as well.  You could do the boyne area and play courses like bay harbor and the boyne group.  Could also rent a lakehouse if you wanted and hang out on the lake.  Ive spent many summers up here over the years.  Does have some good bars. Restaurants and nreweries.

 

 

 

 

 

[icegator337]

On 12/24/2023 at 7:02 AM, sabram said:

That's a common belief, but MB really has both. 90+ courses at several price points. 3 great public courses and about a dozen more very high quality courses. There is sufficient quality there for more than one trip even for most golf architecture nerds

Which 3 courses do you consider to be the best?