Swing into Luxury this Spring at These Southeastern Golf Destinations

Swing into Luxury this Spring at These Southeastern Golf Destinations

The blooming dogwoods and azaleas of the Southeastern U.S. are just a few weeks away, and the 2021 Masters tees off in just a few weeks. Put simply, the golf season is upon us. And oh what a season it is shaping up to be. Fortunately, this golf-rich region serves up some of the finest luxury golf resorts the country has to offer. Here’s a sampling of top-shelf destinations from the land of BBQ, bourbon and college football.

FLORIDA

Innisbrook Golf Resort – Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course is a favorite among PGA TOUR pros, and it’s also one of the most difficult on the circuit. This highly amenitized resort west of Tampa on the Gulf of Mexico houses four courses along with a variety of recently refreshed and renovated rooms, suites and vacation rentals.

PGA National Resort and Spa (pictured at top) – Palm Beach County is a hotbed of golf, and it doesn’t get any hotter than PGA National Resort and Spa, home of the PGA TOUR’s Honda Classic. Five courses, including the Jack Nicklaus designed Champ, await golfers willing to test their mettle against this tournament tested venue. The 350+ room hotel offers luxurious guestrooms and suites, as well as fine dining, spa and fitness center.

Streamsong Resort – One of Florida’s newest golf resorts got even newer with the opening of its Gil Hanse-designed Black Course in 2018. The resort’s Red and Blue courses have also quickly moved atop the national rankings, and the Streamsong Lodge is the perfect place to kick back and relax, post round.

Reynolds golf

GEORGIA

Callaway Resort and Gardens – Golf may not be the first thing that comes to mind at this famous water-skiing stronghold, but the 18-hole Lake View and Mountain View Courses are a couple underrated gems. Golfers can chose from the AAA Four Diamond Lodge, cottages or villa accommodations.

Reynolds Lake Oconee (pictured) – Reynolds Lake Oconee is to Georgia as Pinehurst Resort is to North Carolina. That is to say, a seemingly endless supply of golf in the form of six highly-ranked layouts designed by Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Rees Jones, Bob Cupp and Jim Engh. Lodging ranges from cozy cottages to the luxurious Ritz-Carlton, Lake Oconee.

Sea Island Resort – While Georgia is better known as the home of The Masters, the RSM Classic at Sea Island Resort is a PGA TOUR player favorite. So much so, several pros make their home at this golf haven on Atlantic. The Seaside Course is a Tom Fazio redesign perched hard on the Atlantic, the Plantation Course was recently renovated by natives Davis and Mark Love, who also recast the Retreat Course in 2001. Sea Island is the only resort in the world to achieve four Forbes Five Stars 13 years in a row for its Cloister, Georgian Room and Lodge at Sea Island accommodations and the Spa at Sea Island.

Pinehurst Resort

NORTH CAROLINA

Grandover Resort – Golfers need only veer off I-85 in Greensboro to access this 36-hole collection designed by Gary Panks. A full-service onsite hotel offers all the accoutrements, from casual and fine dining to a spa and fitness center. A full Southern breakfast is offered, and golfers need only walk a few steps from the hotel to the first tee.

Pinehurst Resort (pictured) Nine 18-hole courses, including the famed No. 2, frequent U.S. Open host course, make Pinehurst Resort the largest golf resort in the U.S. Golfers also love The Cradle, a nine-hole short course designed by Gil Hanse, and Thistle Dhu, a 75,000 square-foot putting course. Golfers can choose from three hotels, including the recently renovated Manor Inn featuring the North & South bar. And it’s just a short walk to the Pinehurst Brewing Co., featuring a full BBQ menu of pulled pork, ribs and brisket.

Rumbling Bald – Spring in Western North Carolina means mountain golf and Rumbling Bald along scenic Lake Lure obliges with two 18-hole tracks, Apple Valley and Bald Mountain, designed by W.B. Lewis and Dan Maples. Spacious mountain home and Fairway Villa vacation rentals are available for stay-and-plays, and the lake offers endless off-course activities.

Palmetto Dunes

SOUTH CAROLINA

Cherokee Valley Course and Club – Upstate South Carolina’s premier golf destination, Cherokee Valley is home to a P.B. Dye mountain-style layout, on-site cottages with sweeping living rooms and balconies, and a brand-new casual dining restaurant, Core 450. Get game ready at one of South Carolina’s most expansive practice facilities.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort – For golfers who want to play where the pros play this year, Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course is hosting the 2021 PGA Championship in May. If Pete Dye’s diabolic oceanside layout is too tough to tackle, four other 18-hole courses adorn this majestic barrier island near Charleston. Catch a good night’s rest at the AAA Five Diamond Sanctuary at Kiawah, one of the South’s premier hotels.

Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort (pictured) – Hilton Head is known as “Golf Island,” and the three brawny layouts at Palmetto Dunes are a big reason for that moniker. The Robert Trent Jones features one of the island’s only oceanfront holes, and the George Fazio and Arthur Hills courses round out the bill. Golf groups love the popular “Birdies and Beer Getaway” and the resort’s comfy vacation rentals.

Sea Pines Resort – Settled along Hilton Head Island’s south end, The Sea Pines Resort is home of the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage tournament and famed Harbour Town Golf Links. Two other championship caliber tracks reside inside the gates, Heron Point by Pete Dye and Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III. The Forbes Four Star Inn and Club at Harbor Town is just a pitching wedge from the clubhouse and the famed Yacht Basin is a short jaunt away.