One out of every three Americans played golf in 2019. You don’t just play golf occasionally, though — you’re ready to take a trip revolving around it.
But what are the best trip destinations for people who want to go on a golfing vacation? There are plenty of options, but here are our five favorites in the world.
Scotland
We can’t write a list of golfing trip destinations without first talking about Scotland. Those who have played in Scotland — namely, at St Andrew’s Links — have said it’s like nothing else. There’s a lot of history in Scotland when it comes to golf, especially when you consider that the sport was invented in this northern European nation.
St Andrews is absolutely the bucket list location for your golfing trip. But there are plenty of other places to play that are stunning, too. You can visit Ailsa Course at Turnberry, for example, for an unforgettable time on the links.
Dubai
Scotland’s an obvious choice here, but you might not be as aware of the incredible golf to be found in Dubai. Among the championship golf courses in this Middle Eastern nation are ones designed by pros: the Faldo Course at the Emirates Golf Club and the Els Club at Dubai Sports City are both highly-rated and, of course, former PGA pro-approved.
You’ll find plenty of other pristine, lush golf courses to play in Dubai — yes, in the middle of the desert. Some places to explore include the aforementioned courses, as well as Dubai Hills and Jumeirah Golf Estates.
California
You can’t do golf trip planning without putting California on the list of potential destinations. Chances are, you already know some of the incredible courses that the Golden State has to offer, but let’s start with perhaps the most iconic one of all: Pebble Beach.
Pebble Beach has hosted a handful of PGA tour championships, and you can probably envision that famous hole on the peninsula that juts right out into the Pacific. Once you’ve played there, consider booking in for rounds at Spyglass or Torrey Pines.
Australia…
Once you’re in California, catch a (very) long flight down under for some more world-class golf. Start in Melbourne with the Royal Melbourne, which is often ranked as the country’s top course. It has hosted the Australian Open, as well as the Presidents Cup as recently as 2019.
You can also go even more remote to the island of Tasmania, which boasts a stunning course of its own. The Barnbougle Dunes is one of the most well-designed courses in the world, according to the pros.
…and New Zealand
New Zealand could be a great golf destination on its own, but we suggest pairing it up with Australia. It’s a long way to travel for one country or the other — why not check out both of these incredible golf destinations?
In New Zealand, you won’t want to miss Cape Kidnappers, which was designed by Tom Doak. This course is relatively new — it opened in 2014 — but the last nine holes are especially surreal. Some of them are set along 400-foot cliffs, so be sure to bring along a few extra balls in case one falls off the edge.
Choose Your Golf Trip Destinations
These are only five of the incredible golf trip destinations for you to consider. But we can promise that no matter which one you choose, you won’t be disappointed. So, grab your back and your tickets — it’s time to get golfing somewhere new.
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