Pebble Beach
There’s a bond that exists between a father and son that is impossible to put into words. It’s a connection that only strengthens over the years and never goes away.
For those of us lucky enough to have fallen in love with the great game of golf, we know that that bond can be enriched with time together on the golf course.
From the moment you buy your child their first golf club to the time when you see them look up at you after they strike that first perfect 7-iron and you can see the pride on their face, you know they are hooked and that will be the first of a lifetime of memories together on the course.
The time you get with your child on the course can form some of the most important memories that we have for the rest of our lives, and there’s no better way to create those memories than enjoying a bucket list trip together.
We’ve highlighted a few experiences that are guaranteed to create those lifelong bonds with your child, and hopefully you both will cross all of these off your list together.
Scotland and the Old Course at St. Andrews
The first tee at the Old Course at St. Andrews is almost a religious experience. As you and your son step onto the tee, it will quickly hit you that this is the place where our precious game began and that pretty much every golfer that you have ever idolized has shared that same first tee.
And to experience that with your son, well, there just isn’t anything that could ever be better.
A trip to St. Andrews will cost you a pretty penny, but for those of you who can afford it then it’s one of those memories that you will carry with you for the rest of your lives. While you are there, you should certainly make the most of your trip and enjoy some of the other courses at St. Andrews such as the New Course or our favorite, the Castle Course. Also be sure to check out Dumbarnie Links, Kingsbarns, Carnoustie, and St. Andrews Golf Club that are all located close to the town of St. Andrews.
If you’re interested in booking a golf vacation here, then you’ll need to start planning well in advance as the tee times here are tough to come by and go very quickly. We highly recommend working with a tour operator, and one we know will always treat you well is the team at Lyons Links.
Old Course at St. Andrews
Pebble Beach (California)
We cannot tell you how many times we’ve spoken to golfers about how they are planning to do a father-and-son trip to one of the game’s greatest treasures known as Pebble Beach. It’s one of those special destinations that no matter how much it’s been built up to you before you go, it still somehow finds a way to over deliver on the experience.
Of course, your trip will be centered around your round on Pebble Beach Golf Links. There is a reason that the legend Jack Nicklaus said, “If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach.”
The moment you step onto the tee of the famed 7th hole and stare down at the tiny green that is surrounded by the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean, you will realize that you are experiencing golf nirvana together. Hole after hole leaves a lasting impression, and as you remove your caps for an embrace after your final putt on the iconic 18th hole, you’ll be blanketed with the feeling that your golf destiny has been fulfilled.
You also cannot forget to include rounds on Spyglass Hill Golf Course, The Links at Spanish Bay (scheduled to close on March 18, 2026 for a Gil Hanse redesign so plan accordingly), and a fun loop around the Tiger Woods short course design known as The Hay. Everything about your experience here is draped in comfortable luxury, and experiencing Pebble Beach together is just about as good as life gets.
Pebble Beach
Pinehurst Resort (North Carolina)
The home of American golf. Pinehurst Resort is certainly on the Mount Rushmore of golf resorts in the United States due to the storied history of the property, the top-notch hospitality, and the unforgettable golf — all making it the perfect place to solidify memories for a father-and-son golf trip.
When it comes to the golf, a trip that includes some sort of rotation with the iconic No. 2 that was originally designed by Donald Ross and was most recently restored by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, the reimagined No. 4 by the legendary Gil Hanse (which is undergoing some work on the greens and will reopen in August 2025), the Tom Fazio beauty No. 8, and the latest Tom Doak treasure No. 10. Also, no father-son trip would be complete at Pinehurst without a loop around The Cradle and a putting contest on Thistle Dhu.
You can’t go wrong at any of the accommodations here, but we do love the Carolina Hotel or the Manor Inn as great go-to establishments. Be sure to enjoy a beer together at The Brewery after one of your rounds to cap off the day and create an unforgettable memory at this incredible resort.
The Cradle at Pinehurst Resort
Kiawah Island Golf Resort (South Carolina)
The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort…just one round here alone is enouxgh to create a father-and-son golf experience that will last a lifetime, as the two of you look to tame one of the game’s most challenging and beautiful golf courses.
It’s one of Pete Dye’s absolute masterpieces, and being able to battle one of the game’s iconic venues alongside your father or son is a moment that you won’t soon forget.
After your round, be sure to pull up a chair at one of, if not the, best 19th holes in golf known as The Ryder Cup Bar that overlooks the 18th green and the Atlantic Ocean.
A sometimes-overlooked fact about Kiawah Island is that the resort has invested significantly over the last several years into the overall golf experience at Turtle Point, Cougar Point, Osprey Point, and Oak Point, as each match the high-level experience that you receive on The Ocean Course. It has been a noticeable change, and it helps to create a multi-day golf getaway here unforgettable and helps the property stand out amongst the best in the country.
We are massive fans of staying at the world-class Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, and the feeling of Coastal Carolina luxury that blends with a touch of Southern charm in the form of a Forbes Five-Star hotel sets the tone for a special trip. There are more than a dozen restaurants at the resort, and there’s nothing like capping off a day on the course with a steak from The Ocean Room to set the stage for a perfect day together.
The resort also offers plenty of rental home and villa options if you are looking for a little more space for your getaway, and with so much to see and do we know that you will love your experience here.
Kiawah Island
Sea Island (Georgia)
Sea Island is one of the rare resorts in the country that can create a perfect experience for any type of occasion.
When it comes to creating a special experience for a father and son, Sea Island has you covered with a multitude of options to create an amazing getaway. Of course, any experience will include rounds on their three championship golf courses highlighted by the Seaside and Plantation courses that host the RSM Classic every year on the PGA Tour, as well as the fun Retreat Course that is a favorite among the resort’s members.
We highly suggest staying at The Lodge as this Forbes Five-Star resort offers a boutique hotel experience and is located at the main golf hub of the property. The concierge service here is exceptional. The joke around the property is that as long as your request is legal, it’s doable for their staff.
Here are some of the many activities to enjoy at The Lodge:
- Men’s Locker Room – Among the best locker rooms in all of golf, the Men’s Locker Room features a restaurant and bar where you are likely to bump into one of the many PGA Tour players who call Sea Island home.
- Colt & Alison – The recently redesigned classic Southern steakhouse offers that perfect dichotomy to the experience of the Men’s Locker Room where a father and son can get a little dressed up (sport coats are required here) and enjoy an exquisite meal in an upscale setting with superb service.
- Speedway Putting Course – There’s nothing like settling some father-son trash talking from the course at the end of the day on a fun loop around this 18-hole putting course with a beverage in hand as you enjoy the tunes from the bagpiper who performs a sunset serenade here daily.
- Golf Performance Center – When we say this place has it all…this place has it all! Home to some of the world’s best golf teachers, every technological bell and whistle that you can think of to improve your game, golf specific fitness training, and tour-quality clubfitting, it’s the perfect place to enhance your game and create a great father-son moment.
Of course, the resort is also home to The Cloister which offers a slew of other great amenities for you to enjoy such as the Sea Strike Pub to partake in some bowling or the Beach Club to enjoy some time by the ocean or poolside.
Kohler, Wisconsin
This gem of the Midwest is an experience every golfer should be able to enjoy at least once in their life and taking it in with your father or your son has got to be among the best ways to enjoy the famed Kohler, Wisconsin (formerly Destination Kohler) experience.
Your experience here must include at least one round on the iconic Straits Course at Whistling Straits. It’s one of the greatest courses in the country, and we would argue that this could quite possibly be the greatest collection of par-3s you’ll find anywhere in the world.
While the Straits gets a ton of love, and rightfully so, among golf enthusiasts, you’d be remiss if you didn’t include a round on the sister Irish Course that is also available at Whistling Straits. The experience here is amazing, and it serves as the perfect complement to the tougher Straits Course by providing a wonderful collection of holes and a likely run in with a Scottish Black-faced sheep during your round.
In addition to the courses at Whistling Straits, Kohler, Wisconsin also features three courses at Blackwolf Run including the formidable River Course, the more friendly Meadow Valleys Course, and the ridiculously fun Baths at Blackwolf Run which is a short course that has a putting course that every group is sure to love.
When you visit these three courses, you’ll be blown away at how this iconic resort has delivered a completely different golf experience all under one roof. In contrast to the links-style designs at Whistling Straits, the courses at Blackwolf Run provide a gorgeous parkland-style experience giving you everything you could want on one golf trip. The River is a stern test of golf with some of the most beautiful holes on the property, and the Meadow Valleys Course is far from a pushover but compared to the other courses onsite, it may provide you with a welcomed reprieve during your trip.
Kohler, Wisconsin does an exceptional job at providing a multitude of dining experiences on property, and one of our favorites here is The Horse & Plow, a pub located at The American Club that gives you the feel of a similar setting across the pond.
Kohler, Wisconsin has been a labor of love for the Kohler family and the stewardship of the resort has been passed down from father to son for a couple of generations now. That father and son bond is rooted in the heart of this resort, and it’s the perfect setting for other families to create their own father and son legacy for generations to come.
Big Cedar Lodge (Missouri)
The great Johnny Morris, famed CEO of Bass Pro Shops, has taken this little slice of heaven in the Ozarks of Missouri and fashioned it into one of the most special experiences in the country for a father-and-son getaway. This resort was designed with the goal of getting you outdoors to experience all the amazing things that nature has to offer, and when it comes to the golf here, you’ll be blown away by the experience.
The golf set up at Big Cedar Lodge is unique as the resort provides three 18-hole golf courses with Payne’s Valley, Ozarks National, and Buffalo Ridge alongside three short-course designs with the spectacular nine-hole Top of the Rock, the 13-hole walkable Mountaintop Course, and the soon-to-open Cliffhangers Golf Course, which is an 18-hole short course designed by Johnny Morris and his son, John Paul, which looks unbelievable.
When it comes to setting the stage for father-and-son activities off the course, the possibilities feel limitless at Big Cedar Lodge as there is so much to see and do. You can spend time on the water in a fishing boat rental, or explore the Lost Canyon Cave & Nature Trail in a golf cart that includes a bar in the middle of your cave exploration, or you could enjoy a sunset ceremony where they fire off a cannon towards the setting sun followed by a cocktail in the End of the Trail Wine Cellar…and we could go on and on. This resort is one of those special places that will have your jaw on the ground from start to finish, and it’s a great location to create memories for a lifetime.
Michigan Road Trip (Michigan)
I had to include this one as I had the pleasure of doing a Michigan Road Trip with my father-in-law a few years ago and it was one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. It included a bit of driving in between stops, but that was part of the fun that only enhanced the vibes of the trip for us.
We kicked the trip off at Arcadia Bluffs, home to 36 holes of exceptional golf with the incredible Bluffs Course that overlooks Lake Michigan, giving you all the links-golf feels you could want. This contrasted nicely with the experience at the South Course, which provides a completely different setting and is known for its squared off greens and lush conditioning as this parkland-style layout will be giving you high-end private club vibes like that of Chicago Golf Club.
The next stop on the trip was Forest Dunes, home to the wonderful Forest Dunes course and The Loop, a Tom Doak layout that is a reversible routing that changes daily. They also added a great little, short course called The Bootlegger to cap off a great experience here.
Last but certainly not least, we concluded the trip with multiple days at BOYNE Golf Resorts. With 11 courses onsite, there is such a wonderful variety of golf and after our trip we wanted to book a return trip back just to BOYNE so that we could play more of the courses here. The value here is exceptional, and our rounds here were highlighted by playing 18 of the 27 holes available at Bay Harbor Golf Club which has several holes that border Lake Michigan and are manicured to perfection.
We also tacked on rounds at The Heather and the Donald Ross Memorial Courses which we loved every bit as much as Bay Harbor.
The next trip will certainly include a round on the newly opened Doon Brae Short Course that is located on the backside of The Highlands, which is one of the three resort hubs that BOYNE Golf provides.
This loop made for a great week, and it’s a trip we will certainly be taking again.
Arcadia Bluffs
Best of Central Florida (Florida)
Much like the Michigan trip we just highlighted, a golf loop throughout Central Florida could facilitate a father and son having an epic golf week while playing some of the top-ranked courses in the world all in one great loop.
Two of the top resorts to focus your experience on would be a visit to Streamsong and Cabot Citrus Farms. Both are conveniently located relatively close to the Orlando and Tampa international airports, so you’ll have a lot of flight options from wherever you are coming from.
Streamsong Resort has continued to solidify its position as one of the elite golf resorts in the country. Your trip should start with the Red, Blue, and Black Courses which are certainly the stars of the show for a golf trip here, and they’ve recently added the incredibly fun Chain short course and The Bucket putting course. They’ve also announced a new fifth course that will be coming soon courtesy of David McLay Kidd.
Cabot Citrus Farms is the newest star of the show on the Central Florida golf scene as the team at Cabot purchased the former World Woods golf facility and have completely renovated the property into a new landmark golf experience. With the two championship courses of Karoo and the Roost, a lit-up short course known as The Wedge, and an additional nine-hole routing called The Squeeze, you’ll have plenty of golf to enjoy here.
In addition to these incredible properties, you could also look to squeeze in rounds at other Central Florida favorites including:
- Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge – Home of “The King,” Bay Hill is a PGA Tour staple as it now serves as one of the elevated events annually on the PGA Tour. A one-night stay can get you access to this course, and if you’re looking for a little extra fun, The Charger 9-hole course is a blast to play.
- Evermore Resort – Home to Grand Cypress Golf Club, this reimagined property has turned into a massive and impressive resort that features a pool/lagoon that must be seen to be believed. The Links Course here (formerly called The New Course), is a wide-open links-style layout modeled after The Old Course with plenty of pot bunkers that pay homage to its model course. The Cypress Course is a new layout that features a combination of holes from the old North, South, and East Courses as well as the three-hole practice area layout that used to exist. They sprinkled in a few new holes as well, and the result is a great experience that creates a great 1-2 punch all under one roof.
- Orange County National – Home of Panther Lake and Crooked Cat, these courses have long held significant events in the world of golf including Q-School for the PGA Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour, and most recently a LIV Tour event. They offer incredible value for two challenging layouts, and there is also a short course known as The Tooth if you need an Emergency Nine during your trip.
Of course, Orlando and Tampa have a ton of activities to sprinkle into your trip as well such as visits to Universal Studios, Disney World, enjoying the famous Tampa and Clearwater beaches, and so much more. There are tons of other options in the area, and Central Florida can give a father-and-son trip a myriad of bucket-list options alongside some more affordable routes that can create an exceptional experience and memories to last a lifetime.
Recommendation
You can’t go wrong with any of these trips, and the most important thing is we hope that we hope you and yours have a wonderful Father’s Day and hopefully you can sneak away and enjoy one or more of these special destinations.