Payne’s Valley at Big Cedar Lodge
There’s a small but rapidly growing category of golf travelers that every resort now must think about: the couple where one guest arrives hungry for tee times and the other who has absolutely zero intention of ever picking up a club.
Not too long ago, this arrangement was often awkward. Golf resorts tended to treat non-golfers as afterthoughts with the occasional small spa room tacked onto the clubhouse, an unconvincing pool, or perhaps a shuttle into town if one insisted on escape.
But today, a growing number of American resorts have figured out that the surest way to encourage repeat visits is to make the non-golfer the star of the show.
If the golf diehard is thrilled and the companion returns home evangelizing the spa, the wine list, the nature trails, or the local galleries, the resort has converted a skeptic into a supporter and hopefully you and your significant other have now created a go-to escape destination for future getaways.
While there are multiple great destinations that fit this mold, we’ve pointed out a few of our favorites for you here that we know will deliver for both the golfer and non-golfer alike.
Sea Island {Sea Island, Georgia}
Sea Island, located on the Southern Georgia coast, has been quietly perfecting this concept for years. The resort is known for its three golf courses (Seaside, Plantation, and Retreat), and for instruction that rivals the best academies in the country at their world-class Golf Performance Center.
But the resort’s real distinction lies in how thoroughly it embraces guests who never set foot on a tee box.
The island itself functions as an amenity: marshlands for kayaking and paddleboarding, flat bike routes that encourage easy exploration, a beach club that never feels like an afterthought, and a spa that avoids the cookie-cutter menu copy of so many hotel spas.
Sea Island also takes its food program to the next level with a culinary culture that incorporates a unique Southern flair alongside exceptional service to create unforgettable meals throughout your stay.
There is so much to see and do here, and your better half will have plenty to keep them busy here while you enjoy your time on the course.
The Broadmoor {Colorado Springs, Colorado}
Out west, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs takes a different approach to the mixed-interest challenge by leaning into the grand American hotel tradition.
Golf exists as part of a much larger cultural ecosystem here, and the resort’s Donald Ross pedigree gives golfers a classic canvas to work with alongside the gorgeous mountainous backdrops.
What makes this property exceptional for non-golfers is the sheer density of things to do within walking distance of the lobby. Art galleries, shopping arcades, guided historical tours, a movie theater, bowling, pool complexes, falconry lessons, and a series of approachable outdoor excursions mean that no one has to manufacture ways to pass the time.
Even guests who typically resist “resort activities” tend to find something that feels custom-fit to their level of adventure here.
The Broadmoor does an exceptional job at proving a point that other golf destinations sometimes forget: if a non-golfer is going to sign onto a golf trip, the resort must offer cultural depth, not merely diversions.
The Broadmoor
Kohler, Wisconsin {Kohler, Wisconsin}
Kohler has such a magnetic pull for golfers. As the home of the world-renowned links-style courses at Whistling Straits and the strategic parkland-style challenges of Blackwolf Run, it’s easy to forget the resort long predates its golf fame as the home of the Kohler Co.
In fact, the infamous American Club first served as a place to provide housing to immigrant employees and was later converted into a world-class hotel in later years.
But the mixed-interest magic here belongs to the village around it. While golfers chase birdies over the bluffs, non-golfers participate in a different tradition entirely. Kohler is a company town turned hospitality salon, where design, craftsmanship, spas, and boutiques give the trip texture.
The Kohler Waters Spa is the centerpiece — hydrotherapy, steam, and treatments shaped by a brand obsessed with water — and it can swallow a morning or an entire day without effort. Shops, galleries, and the easy shuttle network give non-golfers autonomy, while the dining culture stitches everyone back together at night.
Day trips to neighboring Sheboygan and the lakefront add bookstores, paths, and small museums, and in fall the region becomes a quiet postcard. It’s a wonder for all, and there’s a reason why this resort has earned the reputation of bucket list status.
Big Cedar Lodge {Ridgedale, Missouri}
Big Cedar Lodge in the Missouri Ozarks is about nature and Americana. The brainchild of Johnny Morris who famously built the Bass Pro Shops empire, this amazing property is home to one of the most ambitious golf-building projects of the past decade.
From the golfing side, the resort features golf courses designed by Tiger Woods (Payne’s Valley), Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (Ozarks National), Tom Fazio (Buffalo Ridge), and several high-end short courses by Jack Nicklaus (Top of the Rock), Gary Player (Mountain Top), and their newest marvel that was designed by Johnny Morris himself and his son John Paul (Cliffhangers).
The secret to the resort’s mixed-interest magic lies beyond the fairways though.
Big Cedar is a wilderness resort first and foremost, and Mr. Morris wanted to be sure to create an environment that makes everyone comfortable enjoying the outdoors whether that be on the golf course or not.
On any given morning, non-golfers may find themselves boating on Table Rock Lake, touring caves, fishing, hiking, enjoying their exceptional spa, visiting wildlife exhibits, or hopping on a sunset cruise.
The resort treats activity planning almost like a concierge puzzle where golfers peel off toward tee times while companions choose from a menu of lake, land, and cultural experiences.
Few golf resorts manage this trick without feeling gimmicky or disjointed, and Big Cedar does it by making the outdoors the headline for everyone.
Montage Palmetto Bluff {Bluffton, South Carolina}
In South Carolina’s Lowcountry, the Montage Palmetto Bluff finds yet another solution to the mixed-interest equation by building an entire micro-village to cater to all. The golf is more than legitimate at the Jack Nicklaus Signature designed May River Golf Course which features marsh views, and the kind of quiet strategy that rewards return visits.
They’ve also added Crossroads 9-hole golf course to further enhance your golf during a stay here.
But the resort earns its true reputation from the overall atmosphere here. Streets lined with porch swings, a general store, a chapel, bike loops, paddleboards on the river, watercolor classes, and sunset cruises give the property a sense of lived-in rhythm rather than resort choreography.
The food scene is first-class as well as it leans into Lowcountry ingredients without falling back on nostalgia or cliché. For the non-golfer, days unfold with the same gentle cadence as the river tides: leisurely breakfasts, a bike ride, a class, a book on a porch swing, or perhaps a cocktail at dusk.
There is no waiting for someone to “come back from golf,” because your other half will be enjoying all the trappings that the relaxing opulence of this resort has to offer.
Montage Palmetto Bluff
Recommendation
Taken together, these five resorts illustrate the emerging blueprint for the 2026-era golf trip. It is no longer enough to offer a championship course and assume the rest will follow.
The hospitality focus has expanded from the golfer to the golf-adjacent traveler, and this dedication to servicing all who may come on a golf trip is one of the many facets of what makes these properties stand out in the marketplace.