The Best Golf Trips in the U.S. by Season, Budget and Style

Bucket-list golf: Bandon Dunes, Pinehurst and Pebble Beach

If the group wants the trip they'll talk about for a decade, start with the big three. Bandon Dunes on Oregon's coast is the purest golf trip in America: walking-only links on cliffs above the Pacific, with multiple 18-hole courses plus short courses, all steps from your room. Pinehurst in North Carolina offers the history of Pinehurst No. 2 — host of multiple U.S. Opens — and a deep bench of sandhills courses nearby. Pebble Beach is the splurge, with stay-and-play rules that reward booking early.

Bucket-list trips need the most lead time. Spring and fall dates at all three commonly book out 9–12 months ahead.

• Bandon Dunes, OR — best May–October; walking only
• Pinehurst, NC — best March–May and September–November
• Pebble Beach, CA — playable year-round; September–October is prime

Summer golf trips: Michigan, Wisconsin and the mountains

When the desert is too hot, go north. Northern Michigan's Lake Michigan bluff courses and summer daylight past 9:30 p.m. make 36-hole days easy. Wisconsin pairs Whistling Straits and Kohler with Sand Valley's dune golf. Mountain trips — Lake Tahoe, Bend, Coeur d'Alene and Sun Valley — offer cool mornings and big scenery from June through September.

Winter golf trips: Scottsdale, Palm Springs and Florida

From January through April, Scottsdale and Palm Springs are the country's winter golf capitals, with dozens of desert courses and reliable sunshine. Florida — Orlando, Streamsong and Cabot Citrus Farms — adds winter golf within a short flight for East Coast groups. Hawaii is the year-round splurge.

Winter sun destinations are busiest (and priciest) from February through March, so January and early April are often the value windows.

Best-value golf trips

Myrtle Beach remains the value king, with a huge supply of courses and condos and aggressive stay-and-play packages. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama, Ocean City, Maryland, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and St. George, Utah all deliver strong golf at friendlier prices — especially in the shoulder seasons.

Golf plus nightlife

For bachelor parties and milestone birthdays, Las Vegas, Scottsdale and Nashville lead the list: strong golf by day and plenty to do after dark. Plan tee times late enough to survive the night before, and book group dinners early on weekends.

How to choose between them

Pick the month first, then the budget, then the style. A great destination in the wrong month is the most common golf trip mistake. Our month-by-month calendar shows what's in season for any travel window, and our trip request will recommend the best matches for your group.