If there’s anything avid golfers love more than playing new courses, it’s traveling to play new courses. Preferably lots of them.
Golfers in the United States are blessed with dozens of hot spots – some hotter than others – offering scores of courses and resorts within an hours’ drive of each other. What’s more, these destinations cater to golfers with special package pricing, fairway-side lodging and other enticements.
The following locations lure traveling golfers by the thousands each year.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Golf-industry doldrums and economic woes took a toll on Myrtle Beach, where more than 20 courses shut down in recent years. But guess what? More than 100 remain open, helping the “Grand Strand” (as the area is known) keep its place atop many golfers’ must-visit lists.
Number of courses: About 100
Best bets: The Dunes Golf Club (the godfather of Myrtle Beach golf since 1948); Barefoot Resort (featuring designs by Pete Dye and Greg Norman); Myrtle Beach National (a perennial favorite); Caledonia Golf & Fish Club (pricey, but worth it)
Also famous for: The beach, of course – 60 miles of it. Myrtle abounds with amusement parks and outlet malls, too.
Best time to visit: For weather, spring and fall are sublime. Bargain hunters who don’t mind extreme humidity and heat find great values in the summer.
Palm Springs, California
The original retirement haven is synonymous with golf, thanks in part to Bob Hope. The legendary comedian’s annual pro-am put Palm Springs on the golf map, where it’s still a fixture. Young and old (mostly old) flock to the Coachella Valley for its abundant sunshine; the area reports an average of 350 sunny days per year.
Number of courses: 110
Best bets: PGA West Stadium Course (perhaps Pete’s most Dye-abolical creation); La Quinta Resort (36 incredible holes designed by, you guess it, Pete Dye); Desert Willow Resort (Firecliff course earns rave reviews); Escena Golf Club (one of Palm Springs’ most unique layouts)
Also famous for: Amazing desert-mountain scenery, galleries galore and the annual Coachella Music and Arts Festival – the one time you’ll see throngs of youthful visitors here.
Best time to visit: Winter, especially for those socked in by snow and cold.
Phoenix-Scottsdale, Arizona
Like Palm Springs, Phoenix beckons with bright sun and drier-than-dry relief from coastal humidity. Also like its cousin to the west, Phoenix bulges with golfers from December-March – and rewards them with some of America’s most bewitching tracks.
Number of courses: 185 in the metro area
Best bets: Troon North Golf Club (featuring two awe-inspiring 18s); TPC of Scottsdale (home to the PGA Tour’s most raucous event); Talking Stick Golf Club (36 holes by the incomparable team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw); Grayhawk Golf Club (Phil Mickelson’s stomping grounds)
Also famous for: World-class spas are attached to many of the golf resorts, while natural wonders like the Grand Canyon, Sedona and the Vegas Strip are within easy driving distance.
Best time to visit: Unless you can handle temps well in excess of 100 degrees (F), spring, fall and winter are the prime seasons. Then again, it can get a bit crowded.
Orlando, Florida
First-time visitors are often surprised to find hills in central Florida, but there they are. Orlando’s varied topography (by Florida standards, at least) gives it a leg up on much of the state, where flat, palm-lined fairways come a dime a dozen.
Number of courses: More than 75
Best bets: Celebration Golf Club (a lovely collaboration by father Robert Trent Jones and son Robert Jr.); Falcon’s Fire (Rees Jones’ noteworthy contribution); ChampionsGate Golf Club (splendid 36-hole facility); Grand Cypress Resort (boasting a pair of Jack Nicklaus originals); Bay Hill Resort & Club (Arnold Palmer’s personal kingdom and a favorite of PGA pros)
Also famous for: Orlando is home to a popular theme park whose mascot is a giant mouse.
Best time to visit: As with Myrtle Beach and Palm Springs, summer in Orlando can be inhospitable. Fall is typically gorgeous and pleasant. Winter’s not bad, either, if you don’t mind sharing with the mouse-mad masses.