Golfing is a great way to spend quality time with friends and family while exploring beautiful destinations and logging steps. The sport’s recent resurgence introduced many new players the game, including record-breaking numbers of women and juniors. In honor of National Golf Month in August, we’ve rounded up the world’s top golf resorts, offering ocean views, forested fairways, and après golf experiences that go beyond the green.
Cabot Cape Breton | Inverness, Nova Scotia
Cabot Cape Breton has garnered international acclaim as one of the premier resort destinations in the world thanks to its dramatic setting on cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and dynamic golf courses that consistently rank among the world’s best. The resort includes a charming 72-room lodge with ocean views from every room, three exquisite restaurants with incredible seafood, and endless opportunities for adventure, including heli-fly fishing and hiking the world-renowned Cabot Trail. Golfers trek from around the world to play the bucket list courses of Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs with postcard worthy panoramas of the Cape Breton coastline. The popularity of short courses has exploded recently, and Cabot just opened The Nest this season, a new par-3, 10-hole short course that will offer night golf beginning in August.
Danzante Bay | Loreto, Mexico
Danzante Bay at the Islands of Loreto is Baja’s rising destination for relaxation, culture and eco-tourism. This largely undiscovered, peaceful retreat is located on the eastern coast of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula and is best known for its secluded, unspoiled setting on the Loreto Bay National Marine Park, A UNESCO World Heritage. The resort is home to the award-winning Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto; four restaurants; five pools; 39,000 square foot Sabila Spa; and the exceptional TPC Danzante Bay, boasting some of the most striking holes in golf. The only TPC course in Mexico, the 18-hole course is a truly unique golf experience unlike any other. Book the Unlimited Golf or Spa package for the chance to experience the par-72 course that showcases the natural beauty of the surrounding Sierra de la Giganta mountains and Sea of Cortez.
Rancho San Lucas | Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Rancho San Lucas, one of the newest resort communities in Cabo, is set in rolling desert foothills that slope to pristine beachfront on the Pacific Ocean, and includes the new Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas hotel. Standout amenities include three pools, a mini waterpark, a saltwater lagoon that winds throughout the property, multiple restaurants, Seaside Spa, 15 miles of hiking and mountain bike trails, and a new Greg Norman Signature golf course that has been proclaimed one of the best courses in Mexico. Known for employing a ‘least-disturbance’ approach in his design projects, the newly opened course is a multi-themed layout with five holes on the beach and a signature island green. Book the Golf Getaway or Stay & Play package for an unforgettable trip.
Sand Valley Resort | Rome, Wisconsin
Sand Valley is sprawling resort destination in Rome, Wisconsin with farm-to-table culinary experiences, year-round outdoor adventures, and one of the premier golf experiences in the Midwest. A luxurious yet tranquil retreat set among tumbling prehistoric sand dunes, Sand Valley is now open year-round, welcoming visitors to stay at the charming Lodge at Sand Valley as well as its collection of luxurious and dog-friendly freestanding cottages. The golf experience features three distinct, award-winning designs: Sand Valley, an 18-hole design by Coore & Crenshaw; Mammoth Dunes, an 18-hole design by David McLay Kidd; and The Sandbox, a 17-hole, par-3 course by Coore & Crenshaw. Outdoor activities include hiking, fat-tire biking, bird watching, fishing, yoga and star-gazing. Once the weather allows, additional thrills such as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, ice skating and sledding are offered as well.