CordeValle
When it comes to resorts, most of them have multiple courses. And for good reason. After all, variety is the spice of life, and if you can play multiple courses, so why not?
But what if a course is so good, you’ll want to play it over and over again? That’s the case with many one-course resorts, where the golf course there is so much fun and challenging, you’ll certainly want a second shot or maybe even a third or fourth chance to see how well you can do on it.
When you think about it, that makes sense, too, right? After all, at most pro tournaments, they play four rounds on the same golf course. Of course, the tees are set differently each day, creating new challenges, and you can do that too when you play a course multiple times. Factor in different weather conditions, how you feel, and you can see how each day is different on the same course.
With that said, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite one-course resort destinations. Some are more high end than others, but we believe each of them has their own charm and individual identity. Here are 10 of the best:
CordeValle, San Martin, Calif.
Tucked away in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, about 45 minutes south of Pebble Beach near the California coast, is the luxurious CordeValle. It boasts a Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed course that has played host to several important USGA events, including the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open. It also staged the PGA Tour’s Frys.com Open from 2010-2013.
More than that, CordeValle, derived from the Spanish phrase “el corazon del valle,” or “heart of the valley,” is sprawled over 1,700 acres of meadows, hills, creeks and waterfalls. It features luxurious villa accommodations, spectacular dining, butler service, tennis, a winery next door, and even a priceless art collection you can see, thanks to the resort’s owner, German high-tech billionaire Hasso Plattner (SAP), who also owns the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.
As for the course, this 7,300-yard-plus layout is one of RTJ II’s finest, best enjoyed with a caddie. With undulating topography and impeccable conditions, the wide variety of holes presents a challenge and feast of different shots that will keep you engaged from start to finish.
CordeValle
Coeur d’Alene (Idaho) Resort & Spa
One of the most famous holes in the world can be found at this wonderful one-course resort. Of course, we’re talking about the floating green, par-3 14th. The green can be moved to lengthen or shorten the hole, and you have to take a special mahogany boat to the green to putt, chip or hit a bunker shot. But really, this course is so much more than the 14th. This Scott Miller design that opened in 1991 has three more spectacular par-3s, several elevated tees, majestic pines, more lakeside holes and fantastic conditions.
The resort is special, too. First opened in 1965 with a seven-story tower completed in 1973, the resort has been renovated a couple of times over years, including the addition of the 18-story Lake Tower in 2018. It features five-star dining, a private beach, the Pacific Northwest’s largest wine cellar, a boat marina, infinity pool, hiking and all sorts of lake recreation, including boating and fishing. Coeur d’Alene also has one of the Pacific Northwest’s best spas.
Erin Hills (Wisc.) Hills
Located about 45 minutes northwest of Milwaukee, the golf course at Erin Hills is a nearly 8,000-yard masterpiece that played host to the 2017 U.S. Open won by Brooks Koepka. (The 2025 U.S. Women’s Open will also be played at Erin Hills.) Opened in 2006, it’s an incredibly beautiful layout that follows the lay of the land. It’s also a very challenging course, designed by the team of Mike Hurdzan, Dana Fray, and Ron Whitten.
It’s a hybrid course with a links look with tall, thick fescue bordering the holes, but approach shots that are definitely target golf to elevated greens. Ranked as high as 42nd on Golf Digest’s Top 100 list, Erin Hills is a bucket-list destination with its cozy lodge that will remind you of an old Irish Country Inn. There’s also an Irish pub on the property, outstanding practice facilities, and caddie services.
Erin Hills
Harbor Shores, Benton Harbor, Mich.
Host of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship seven times, the Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course at this Southwest Michigan waterfront resort is a championship test that is truly enjoyable by all levels of players. The setting is truly spectacular with the beginning holes laid out in inland terrain, the nest set of holes over dunes, holes 10-13 among the woods, and the final holes bordering the Paw Paw River, Ox Creek and their wetlands. It really is a mix of links style, parkland, and tree-lined golf with plenty of elevation change. The greens are pretty dramatic, too.
The whole project, which is located less than 30 minutes from Chicago, is remarkable as Nicklaus and the developers converted a former EPA-designated Superfund site into a wonderful resort and community. At the centerpiece for resort guests is the Harbor Shores Inn, which offers 92 luxury guest rooms, lots of great dining options, full service spa, indoor and outdoor pools, fitness center, and meeting rooms and wedding venues for up to 300 guests.
Harbor Shores
SentryWorld, Stevens Point, Wisc.
Host of the 2023 U.S. Senior Men’s Open won by Bernard Langer, SentryWorld came in at No. 50 on Golf Digest’s list of the 100 Greatest Public list last year and is truly one of the most striking and enjoyable golf courses you can play. Originally designed by Robert Trent Jones II in 1993, the parkland course was renovated a few years ago by Jones, partner Bruce Charlton, and former associate Jay Blasi. The course is known for its famous “Flower Hole,” the par-3 16th. It’s one of the most beautiful holes you will play, in large part to the 33,000 colorful collection of petunias, snapdragons, marigolds, geraniums and other annuals that grow around the hole and serve as penalty areas. This par-72 plays nearly 7,200 yards from the tips.
Stay and play guests can enjoy the Inn at SentryWorld, a charming boutique hotel sitting just off the 18th fairway. The hotel features spacious suites and intimate gathering spaces, as well as plenty of space for weddings and corporate events. Amenities include the Back Porch for relaxing, Library Cafe, and The Outfitter, which can help equip for additional outdoor adventures like bikes, fishing gear, and lifestyle apparel.
Talamore Resort, Southern Pines, N.C.
A great way to get your feet wet if you’ve never played in the Pinehurst area is to check out the New Course at Talamore Golf Resort. Originally designed by Rees Jones in 1991, the course underwent a greens and bunker renovation a few years ago that really make it stand out. Most notably, the course features a dozen sod-wall bunkers that are incredibly beautiful, but you want to avoid them at all costs. The course was also opened up during the renovation.
Talamore was also known for its cadre of llama caddies, which was certainly novel, but discontinued nearly 20 years ago because of pace of play issues and logistics. Fortunately, there are still llamas living just off the course, so you can at least see them as you make your way around the 13th and 14th holes. And there is still llama-themed merchandise in the golf shop. As for the course it’s full of gentle doglegs, is beautiful, and can be quite challenging. The par 71 pine tree-lined layout tips out at 6,840 yards. The resort features the Talamore Golf Villas, which can accommodate more than 400 golfers in well-appointed two- and three-bedroom accommodations. Golf packages that include partner courses like Mid-South, Mid-Pines, and Pine Needles are also available.
Talamore Resort
Full Cry at Keswick (Va.) Hall and Golf Club
Though the Full Cry Course at Keswick Hall looks intimidating, it’s actually one of the most playable and enjoyable Pete Dye designs you’ll ever play. Plus it’s located at historic Keswick Hall, which dates back to 1912. The former Villa Crawford manor was restored into a 48-room, 5-star resort that’s as special as the golf experience.
But back to the golf: Full Cry, which is built on the rolling hills of the Virginia hunt country, is an open golf course with plenty of room off the tee. The bunkers can be intimidating, and if you play it from the back tees at nearly 7,500 yards, it’s quite the test. There are elevated tees, lots of doglegs, a great variety of par-5s and par-3s, and even a couple of par 4s that are drivable for long hitters.
Also of note, Keswick Hall isn’t too far from Jefferson’s Monticello. The resort has an extensive spa, impressive wine collection, and guests can also enjoy archery, croquet, and hiking.
Full Cry at Keswick
Leatherstocking at Otesaga Resort, Cooperstown, NY
What’s better than visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame? The answer is checking out the Hall and also playing golf at Leatherstocking Golf Course at historic Otesaga Resort. Leatherstocking is a 1909 design by Devereux Emmet. It’s incredibly beautiful, fun, and interesting, and it features two great holes down the stretch – the par-3 17th over water, and the 18th, a par 5 with an island tee that plays along Otesaga Lake almost the entire way. There’s elevation change, lots of doglegs and some real cool greens complexes. The course is also a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.”
You can stay at the Cooper Inn or the Otesaga Resort Hotel, which was renovated a couple of decades ago. It is a step back into a time of elegance and hospitality with its magnificent facade supported by 30-foot columns. Patio dining overlooking the golf course, fine dining, and luxurious accommodations are all part of this member of the Historic Hotels of America.
Leatherstocking at Otesaga Resort
The Hideout Resort, Brownwood, Texas
Located about 2 1/2 hours northwest of Austin and a little more than that southwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, The Hideout is a real hidden gem of a resort and golf course. It’s Texas through and through and a true country getaway. The 6,900-yard Bill Johnston-designed golf course won’t blow you away, but the holes are all different, conditions have been greatly improved, and there really are some neat holes, including a couple of really good par 5s, and an elevated tee shot with tremendous views on the final hole.
But this resort with its rustic log-cabin style minimalist accommodations, magnificent clubhouse, and historic town next door is about so much more than the golf course. The food in the clubhouse restaurant is exceptional, thanks to hiring a chef that came over from Horseshoe Bay near Austin. There’s a resort pool, bar, tennis, and pickleball, too. And in town there are several outstanding restaurants, a brew pub, and historic buildings, including a bookstore that used to serve as theater for troops getting ready to deploy to Europe during World War II.
The Hideout Resort
Fairmont Sonoma (Calif.) Mission Inn & Spa
If you love the combination of wine and great golf, it’s hard to beat the Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, which is right in the heart of California’s wine country. Here, you can do wine tasting in the lobby, get treated to special wine-pairing dinners, relax in the 40,000-square-foot Willow Stream Spa, hike, bike and tour all the wineries in the region.
As for golf, it opened in 1928 and was designed by Sam Whiting and Willie Watson, who also crafted the Lake Course at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. It’s a beautiful parkland course that plays just under 7,100 yards from the tips and has been renovated and fine tuned over the years. Always in great condition, it played host to the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup in the PGA Tour Champions from 2003 to 2009.
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa