11 Best Golf Resorts in the U.S. With Championship Courses and Luxe Accommodations

Planning a vacation centered around golf is a pleasure — and perhaps a challenge — for weekend golfers or for anyone who's looking for a change of scenery or a new destination to explore. With so many options, planning a golf vacation requires a few basic decisions.

Is the goal to take the family to a destination resort with a variety of golf courses and something for everyone when it comes to activities and dining? Do you want to play at the same courses as the pros or explore the work of favorite course designers? Do you want to visit the ocean, desert, or mountains? Golfers who have to pack away the clubs during winter might be seeking a destination with year-round golf weather.

With many golf resorts in the United States to choose from, I've rounded up some suggestions that offer luxurious amenities, quality courses, and a variety of destinations. You might see one that inspires you to propose a family trip or round up some friends for your next golf vacation. Here are 11 of the best golf resorts in the U.S.

Related: More golf vacation ideas

Torrey Pines

The two 18-hole championship courses at Torrey Pines feature the challenging layouts and well-maintained facilities that have made it the location for major PGA TOUR events, including the 2021 U.S. Open. Set along the coast in picturesque La Jolla, The Lodge at Torrey Pines features plush guest rooms and suites, spa, pool, and several exceptional restaurants. Family activities include guided nature walks, lawn games, and a children's scavenger hunt; plus San Diego's many attractions are nearby.

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

Courtesy of Four Seasons

The five-star beachfront Hawaiian resort boasts a signature championship course with black lava features and stunning oceanfront final holes. The Golf Hale house includes state-of-the-art simulator technologies, practice areas, and esteemed golf professionals available for analysis and lessons. The resort's amenities include several pools, beach, dining venues, spa, and the Kuma Kai Marine Center at King's Pond, with programs by the resort's team of marine biologists.

Pebble Beach Resorts

Guests can choose to stay at The Lodge, The Inn at Spanish Bay, or the Casa Palmero with luxurious accommodations and views of the ocean and dunes. For golf, the resort offers the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill, The Links at Spanish Bay, the Del Monte, and The Hay, a short course redesigned in 2021 by Tiger Woods. A spa, pools, a variety of dining options, horseback riding, tennis, and the beautiful Monterey Peninsula and 17-Mile Drive provide much to see and do aprés golf.

Big Cedar Lodge

William Watt/Courtesy of Big Cedar Lodge

This wilderness resort in Missouri's Ozark Mountains offers a wide variety of accommodations, including lodge rooms, log cabins, cottages, and glamping tents. Five golf courses, designed by top players like Arnold Palmer, are set among mountains, streams, and waterfalls, with an abundance of natural beauty. The resort offers boating, fishing, swimming, horseback riding, and a variety of activities for kids.

The American Club Resort Hotel

A five-star, five-diamond resort with classic elegance and a fascinating history, this Wisconsin hotel offers a variety of guest rooms and suites, the Kohler Waters Spa, several restaurants, and a variety of outdoor activities. Golf courses include the world-famous Whistling Straits course, home of the 2021 Ryder Cup, as well as Blackwolf Run, which includes two courses designed by legendary golf course architect Pete Dye.

Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa

Courtesy of Omni Resorts

Located in the hill country of Austin, Texas, the Omni is set on 4,000 scenic acres. The resort includes the Mokara Spa, an expansive fitness center, adults-only pool, kids' splash pad, nature trail, and several dining venues. Four top-ranked golf courses, a Golf Academy, and a club Fitting Studio provide stunning views, variety, and opportunity for improvement, as well as fun.

The Greenbrier

Exclusive Windsor Club suites, guest rooms, cottages, and estate homes provide a range of accommodations, and twenty restaurants, bars, and lounges offer something for everyone's taste. This West Virginia resort includes a spa, casino, retail shops, and outdoor activities for adults and family members of all ages. The Greenbrier course, more than 100 years old, and the newer Ashford Short Course, are two of the resort's four top golf courses.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort

Steve Uzzell/Courtesy of Kiawah Island Golf Resort Score: 92.85

Set on an unspoiled barrier island of South Carolina, Kiawah offers ten miles of shoreline for swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, surfing, fishing, and more. Visitors can choose the five-star Sanctuary Hotel, or a stay at The Cottages at the Ocean Course, home of the 2021 PGA Championship. Five courses including Turtle Point, designed by Jack Nicklaus, and the famed Pete Dye Ocean Course offer variety and challenge, along with stunning views.

The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee

Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton

An hour from Atlanta, this lakeside resort offers guest rooms, suites, cottages, and the stunning four-bedroom Lake House, with private pool and patio. Five golf courses and the Kingdom at Lake Oconee — with private instruction, custom club fitting, and the latest technology for practice and swing analysis — make this a golfer's paradise. There's also boating, swimming, fishing, and the nearby Sandy Creek Sporting Grounds for archery, a sporting clays course, canoeing, and off-roading adventures.

The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain

This five-star resort, set among Tucson's Tortolita Mountains, features three swimming pools, several restaurants, and a holistic spa that incorporates the natural surrounding beauty in a variety of therapies. Guests can enjoy guided hikes, biking, stargazing, and the expansive escape of the Sonoran Desert. The club's 27 holes, designed by Jack Nicklaus, create three courses with elevation changes and Saguaro cactus forest and mountain views.

The Coeur d'Alene Resort

Courtesy of The Coeur d'Alene Resort

The resort's guestrooms and suites, some with private balconies and fireplaces, offer views of Lake Coeur d'Alene, the marina, or the mountains. Six restaurants, a plush spa, water sports, and lake cruises fill the time when golf is over. A round at the Coeur d"Alene Resort Course, known for spectacular scenery and its 14th hole floating green, begins with a cruise aboard one of the resort's custom mahogany shuttle boats.