Top 5 Golf Destinations in the USA

Wondering where to go on your next golf trip? The USA has a total of 15,372 golf courses including a lot of great golf destinations so picking just a handful is a challenge. We took a look at the quality, quantity, price, and overall area to compile our All Square Top US Golf Destination list.

Honorable Mention – Orlando, Florida

The Good: The Orlando area has 71 golf courses within 20 miles so no shortage of golf to experience. The weather is phenomenal and Orlando is a golf mecca even hosting the Annual PGA Merchandise Show.

Don’t Miss: Orange County National offers 45 holes of golf, a phenomenal practice facility, a putting course that can be used by you and your buddies in the evening and lodging on site. This is a perfect home-base if you are on a golf trip to Orlando. Arnold Palmer’s Bayhill Country Club and Lodge is an experience to not be missed, it’s so good Justin Rose rated it 5 out of 5 stars on All Square and it is the host of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The Bad: In some ways Orlando is more of a place to go to train for golf or retire, not a true travel golf destination. You will experience toll booths while driving on the highways around Orlando and most of Orlando’s golf courses are situated in gated communities. For this reason even with the great golf it’s just outside of our top 5.

5. Monterey, California

The Good: Beautiful Oceanfront golf with everything you could want golf wise. Monterey is a true luxury golf destination. If you have high expectations for your golf travel you will not be disappointed.

Don’t Miss: Pebble Beach host of five US Open Championships and ranked 14^th in the world by All Square is of the best facilities in the world that is open to the public. Make sure to play Poppy Hills which is easier on the pocket book, much improved post a 2013 renovation guided by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and still a little under the radar compared to its neighbouring courses. Another facility under the radar and well worth playing is Pacific Grove Golf Links an older course designed by renowned architect Alister Mackenzie offering an Oceanside back nine of golf.

The Bad: It is expensive, like very expensive we are talking $500 US tee times and four digit hotel night sticker prices, if cost was not a factor Monterey may have slotted a couple spots higher on our list but for most of us cost is a factor. With Monterey being on the ocean, the weather can often be foggy, overcast, windy, and chilly.

4. Las Vegas, Nevada

The Good: Vegas has a lot of amazing golf and like most things in Vegas no expenses are spared in building and maintaining its top golf courses. It’s a desert so you don’t need to worry about getting rained out of a golf day and its Vegas so if you play lousy golf maybe your luck will be better at the Casinos, so much to see and do in this town.

Don’t Miss: TopGolf Vegas is the combination of everything Vegas and golf, so much fun. If you have non golfers on your travels with you bring them, they may just be converted into golfers and if not they will still have a blast at TopGolf. Cascata Golf Course is one of the best open to the public courses in Vegas, this Rees Jones Mountain Course won’t disappoint. If you can get on the Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Jr. co-designed Southern Highlands Golf Club it’s undoubtedly worth the effort of finding a member to invite you.

The Bad: Its Vegas so lots of trouble to get into. Some of the golf courses while not fully booked are attached to Casinos so challenging to get a tee time at or on the very high priced side.

3. Scottsdale, Arizona

The Good: Scottsdale has literally 200 golf courses in the area so if you can’t find a course that fits what you are looking for you might be too picky. With an oversupply of golf product, operators are often looking to just fill their tee sheets so deals are available. Finding deals at quality courses is certainly much more a possibility in Scottsdale than the other top destinations, if you would like help planning your next big golf trip check out All Square.

Don’t Miss: TPC Scottsdale host of the Waste Management Phoenix Open and try your luck with hitting green on their signature par 3 sixteenth hole. Consider staying and playing at the Westin Kierland a facility that rotates through three 9 hole courses so you can play a different combination of 18 several days in a row.

The Bad: Scottsdale is an absolutely awesome place only negative is it’s a desert so the heat of summer it can be 46 degrees Celsius, too hot to golf.

2. Oahu, Hawaii

The Good: With incredible weather, views, and landscape Hawaii is a natural golf destination and promises an amazing golf trip.

Don’t Miss: If you can get on (it’s a private club) play Wai’alae Country Club host of the Sony Open if not Ko’olau Golf Club will have you feeling like you are golfing in a Jurassic Park movie. Ko’olau is a cool, unique golf experience, it’s an extremely tough golf course don’t worry about your score just enjoy the experience.

The Bad: Oahu has a large population with Honolulu being America’s 11^th largest city so getting around the island can have traffic challenges. With Hawaii being such a popular tourist destination you may find your $20 US Mai Tais (that’s a Hawaiian drink) on the pricy side.

1. Bandon, Oregon

The Good: As close to a home of golf Scotland Links type feel as you will find in North America, Bandon is the best pure golf destination in the USA. Bandon is a mega golf resort with lodging, dining, five golf courses plus the absolutely massive 36 hole 100,000 square foot PunchBowl putting course and a 50 acre practice center. Bandon just keeps getting better; in 2020 another course The Sheep Ranch will be opening to compliment what is already an incredible offering.

Don’t Miss: Play all the courses on this trip but perhaps try to squeeze two rounds at Pacific Dunes which has amazing views and ranked as the 18^th course in the world by All Square and Old Macdonald which also boasts some incredible ocean views, is full of character and has 6.2 acres of greens.

The Bad: Part of Bandon’s charm is that it’s a golf resort but that can be a negative as it doesn’t offer the variety of non-golf activities as others on the list.