Streamsong Resort’s newest course, The Chain
As the new year kicks off and the cooler weather starts to kick in for the Northern part of the country, it’s the perfect time to start looking for your next golf getaway.
The southern United States as well as parts of the Caribbean offer an incredible variety of memorable locations to consider for your next golf getaway, and we’ve taken the liberty of pointing out a few of our favorites here for you to consider for your group’s next golf stay-and-play adventure.
Central Florida
Central Florida has seen a bit of a resurgence on the golf travel scene in recent years, and you could argue the addition of Streamsong to the portfolio here really kicked this trend off. With the Red, Blue, and Black courses at Streamsong all ranked in the top 100 on many of the top golf rankings lists, it offers a plethora of amazing golf all under one roof and the recent addition of The Chain short course has really enhanced the overall stay and play feel here. We’re also keeping a close eye on the upcoming fourth 18-hole course that is currently under construction by David McLay Kidd (and we are hearing great things about this newest addition).
While Streamsong somewhat in between Orlando and Tampa, there has also been another recent addition to the Central Florida outskirts with Cabot Citrus Farms that brings a totally different feel to the Central Florida market. With a feel that mirrors more of the Sandhills of North Carolina, Cabot Citrus Farms features the Karoo and Roost 18-hole layouts as well as two fun short courses known as The Wedge and The Squeeze to create a great stay-and-play destination.
When it comes to golf in Orlando, there are a ton of great options and one of our favorite spots to send golfers is to the Rosen Shingle Creek. Lodging here is usually much more affordable than you would think, and its central location near International Drive is conveniently located to everything you’ll want to see and do in Orlando. The course is a fun and challenging Arnold Palmer design that provides the perfect amount of risk and reward to feel challenging to good players and friendly to higher handicap golfers.
The area also boasts long-time staples like the iconic Arnold Palmer’ Bay Hill Club and Lodge, the recently redesigned Evermore Resort which is home to 36 holes of golf at Grand Cypress Golf Club, Orange County National which has seen a ton of reinvestment into their 36-hole property that is always an Orlando area favorite, and the nearby plethora of options at Omni ChampionsGate Resort and Reunion Resort.
Cabot Citrus Farms
Georgia
You don’t have to wait for a certain week in April for Georgia to be on your mind, and when it comes to exceptional golf this state has three of the best golf resorts in the country for a golf getaway and each of them has their own special mystique.
If you’re looking for Coastal charm with the perfect balance of luxury and comfort, then Sea Island is a must as this phenomenal property has exceptional accommodations with next-level service highlighted by The Cloister and The Lodge, 54 holes of exceptional golf where the Seaside and Plantation courses play host to the PGA TOUR every year, and almost every activity under the sun available for you and yours to enjoy.
If you’re looking to linger a little longer at a lakeside retreat that is currently home to seven championship golf courses with an eighth on the way (five of which are available to resort guests), then look at Reynolds Lake Oconee. This serene sanctuary features The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Oconee for guests to enjoy or you can stay at one of the plethora of condos of villas which are perfect for golf groups, and once you stay here you’ll quickly realize why so many visitors end up turning Reynolds Lake Oconee into their permanent or second home location as this location is tough to beat and the overall friendly vibe of the community is among the most welcoming in the country.
For those looking for more of a mountain vibe, then look no further than McLemore in Rising Fawn, Georgia as this jaw-dropping resort is flying up the ranks with their 36-holes of golf highlighted by The Highlands Course and the latest addition of The Keep. The views here are awe-inspiring, and the overall experience here is incredible as golfers can choose to stay at one of the resort’s private homes or at Cloudland, a Curio by Hilton hotel. All you have to do is Google this place and look at the pictures, and it will sell itself and you’ll quickly see why this property is taking the world of golf travel by storm.
McLemore
Coastal Alabama
There’s nothing better than finding a destination that provides a great experience at an exceptional value, and Alabama’s Beaches is one of those recent discoveries that we’ve had that blew us away after our first visit here. We take a full dive into this destination for you here, but be sure to have your trip include at least one round at Kiva Dunes, one or two rounds at Craft Farms, have a round or three at the world-famous FloraBama bar, have a minimum of one meal at Jesse’s on the Bay, and set up some time to enjoy the beach whether in a chair or on a catamaran. You’ll be blown away at the price that a stay and play golf vacation is here for what you get as this has quickly become one of our favorite locations to recommend to golfers who want a great experience at an exceptional price.
Kiva Dunes
Northeast Florida
Known as Florida’s First Coast, Northeast Florida has so much exceptional golf across a stretch of land that goes all the way from Amelia Island which is just south of the Florida-Georgia border all the way down to Palm Coast. As the home of the PGA TOUR’s headquarters at the world-famous TPC Sawgrass, the bar starts off high here as this bucket list property features one of the best courses on the planet. While the price tag can be stout, if you have the budget, it is 100% worth it as it’s one of Pete and Alice Dye’s best masterpieces and that feeling of teeing it up on 17 for the first time is one you will never forget.
In nearby St. Augustine, we also highly recommend a visit to the World Golf Village that is home to the King & Bear and Slammer & Squire golf courses. As we previously mentioned, we love great value and these two courses are fantastic for the price and provide a great dichotomy of experience for golfers to enjoy.
Another area favorite is the incredible golf in Amelia Island, and we are particularly impressed with all the recent changes at the Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa. The recent renovation of the Oak Marsh Course by Beau Welling was done to perfection, and we are also huge fans of the Little Sandy Short Course that was added in recent years to this gorgeous resort. The property here is beautiful, and it gives you that Lowcountry feel while still being in Florida giving it a unique feel for the location. There’s so much great golf in this area, and with a huge myriad of options this area can fit for almost any budget.
TPC Sawgrass
Anguilla
While some other countries in the Caribbean have been on the golf map for a long time now, we are happy to announce that Anguilla is here to stay, and that Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club provides a simply spectacular getaway especially for those looking for a great place for a couples or family golf trip. The resort is phenomenal, the aqua blue ocean water vistas look like they belong in a painting on your wall, and the incredible conditioning of the course will blow you away. With 18 holes of championship golf and the Avalon Links Short Course, you’ll have plenty of golf to keep you busy as you enjoy all the resort has to offer which includes amazing food, a gorgeous spa, an awesome water park, and so much more.
Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club
Northwest Florida
Another one of our favorite value destinations, Northwest Florida has grown in popularity over the last decade or so as the rest of the country has begun to take notice of the great experiences here that have long been known to major cities in the Southeast. While there are several great options in this area, we are quite partial to Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort as this has long been one of our favorite value destinations in the country. You can read our full piece here on what makes this place so special, but for oceanside golf at this value it simply can’t be beat.
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
Biloxi, Miss.
Once again, we love finding locations that provide something you can’t find elsewhere and when it comes to great golf and gaming, Biloxi, Miss. has got to be on your list of destinations to look at for a golf trip. Fallen Oak has got to be on your itinerary, as well as The Grand Bear Golf Club and The Preserve Golf Club. They are all great, and you’ll be floored at the pricing for the experience. From a lodging perspective, there are a ton of options, but we love the MGM Beau Rivage as it’s the only way to play at Fallen Oak Golf Club. Hit ‘em straight, and hopefully you win as much money on the course as you do at the tables at this amazing golf destination.
Fallen Oak
Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona
We recently did a deep dive into the greater Phoenix and Scottsdale market that you can read about here, and this story does a great job of highlighting some of the top properties in this golf mecca. Arizona in the winter season is always a good idea, and as you’ll see in this story there are so many great options including the likes of TPC Scottsdale, We-Ko-Pa, The Boulders, Troon North, and so many more.
TPC Scottsdale
Southern California
It’s always a good idea to visit Southern California, and there’s a sneaky trio of courses that we love to recommend to golfers if you’re looking to play the best that this area has to offer. It starts with the legend known as Torrey Pines. One of the best municipal golf facilities in the country, Torrey Pines does offer a limited amount of stay and play options through some of the local area hotels and while the South is certainly the star of the show, don’t sleep on the North Course as it is also fantastic.
Next, head East over to Borrego Springs and feast your eyes on Rams Hill, the Tom Fazio beauty. We have had this course on our list of “must-visit” courses for a few years now, and we finally had a chance to visit it at the end of 2025 and all we can say is wow! We were blown away at the mountainous backdrops and you’ll be blown away at how different these two experiences are considering how close they are in location.
Last, make your way over to PGA West in Palm Springs. Home to nine golf courses, five of which are accessible for resort guests, this long-time home of The American Express on the PGA TOUR is highlighted by the Pete Dye Stadium Course which is equally menacing and beautiful. Somehow this course doesn’t seem like it gets the national recognition that it deserves especially as the industry seems to be rewarding playability over challenge these days, but you better believe that this is one of the finest layouts in the country and will test you in the best way. While all the courses here are also great, we are particularly partial to the Pete Dye Mountain Course as our favorite second option.
This Southern California loop makes for an unbelievable golf trip, and if you’re looking to play the best that this area has to offer than this is a great way to experience this area of the country.
Rams Hill
South Carolina
Another one of the best states in the country for golf, South Carolina is home to some of the most special golf experiences on the planet. While there are a lot of great options in the state, there are three that we simply cannot overlook and those are Kiawah Island, Hilton Head Island, and Myrtle Beach.
Kiawah Island is simply breathtaking. Our team is often asked to rank our favorite courses in the country, and while we basically find that to be an impossible task, if you absolutely forced us to choose there is no way that The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island would not be at or near the top of that list. We could go on and on about this course, but we’ll let it speak for itself as you’ll see in our drone footage of the course here. While most understand the greatness of The Ocean Course, we find that the rest of the courses here don’t get anywhere near enough the attention they deserve as they round out a golf trip here perfectly as we are particularly partial to Osprey Point, Turtle Point, and Cougar Point as well. From a resort perspective, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island is one of our absolute favorite places to visit as it exudes luxury and service. You simply can’t go wrong with a visit to Kiawah Island.
Hilton Head Island is known as “America’s Golf Island,” and we recently did a deep-dive into this amazing location that you can see here to get an in-depth look into all things Hilton Head Island. As you’ll see in this piece, the golf here is exceptional highlighted by the recently renovated Harbour Town Golf Links which is one of the the most important designs in golf course architecture as it put Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus on the map and without them and their disciples, our game would be nowhere near as great as it is today. While The Sea Pines Resort is home to 54 exceptional holes of golf, there’s so much great golf in this area highlighted by the offerings at Palmetto Dunes and the Heritage Golf Collection as you’d be hard pressed to find a better collection of golf courses in such a condensed area.
And last but certainly not least, you cannot make a list of great golf destinations in the winter and expect it to be considered legit if you thought about leaving off the golf mecca known as Myrtle Beach. There are a lot of great options in the Grand Strand, but a few we know we can always recommend are the four championship courses at Barefoot Resort & Golf and we highly recommend that you check out their new lodging options which are perfect for buddies trips. Also check out True Blue and Caledonia which are two memorable Mike Strantz designs, Pawleys Plantation, and Dunes Golf & Beach Club.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is always a good idea, and when it comes to a golf trip here, there are so many great options and where you tee it up can vary greatly depending on your budget. One place we know we can send you whether you’re a high roller or trying to do Vegas on a budget is the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort. Home to 54 holes of championship Pete Dye golf, these three courses are fantastic and are priced to perfection. One round at minimum here is a must for any Vegas golf itinerary.
From there, the options are vast as you can go super high-end at places like the Wynn Golf Club or Shadow Creek or even Cascata, or you can enjoy other area favorites like the always fun Bali Hai Golf Club or the newly named Serket Golf Club (formerly Rio Secco).
The beauty of Vegas as the lodging options are vast, and we hope lady luck treats you well on the links and at the casinos.
Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort
Dominican Republic
Another Caribbean option to consider is the Dominican Republic. The “DR” put Caribbean golf on the map when Pete Dye first created Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo here, and while Casa has long been one of the marquee destinations here, additional properties like Corales and Punta Espada have really risen the profile for this destination and made it a go-to destination for golfers escaping the cold. One thing we like to suggest here is to be sure to work with resorts or partners who you know golf, and one we know can take great care of you is Group Palmera if you’re looking for a great option here as they can set you up at most of the major resorts or in one of their mansion rentals that can include a chef and butler service. Yes…life can be that good in the DR!
Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo