Playing to a 9 handicap and having taken more golf trips than I’d like to admit, I know the difference between the ones that sound great in the group chat and the ones people still talk about three years later. The difference is almost never the courses – it’s picking the right destination for the right group at the right price point.
Golf travel demand in 2026 is genuinely strong. The 2025 Buffalo Groupe Golf Travel Study found that nearly 9 in 10 golfers plan to spend as much or more on golf travel this year as last, with half carrying annual golf travel budgets of $5,000 or more. More demand means more competition between destinations – and for golfers who know where to look, better value than we’ve seen since before the pandemic pricing surge.
What follows covers 27 destinations across every budget, region, and trip type – from an $800 Myrtle Beach weekend to a $6,000 Pebble Beach pilgrimage to a Scottish coastal road trip that beats Ireland on cost without giving up anything on quality. There’s a clear winner for every kind of trip. You just need to figure out which kind of trip you’re actually taking.
Quick Answer: The best golf trips in 2026 range from $800 per person in Myrtle Beach to $6,000 at Pebble Beach. Scottsdale is the top group trip in America. For value, Scotland beats Ireland by a wide margin. For US bucket-list golf, Bandon Dunes is the trip most golfers keep delaying – and shouldn’t.
How to Pick the Right Golf Trip: The 5-Type Framework
Most golfers choose a destination first, then figure out who’s going and what it’ll cost. Do it in reverse. Start with your trip type.
Budget Trip (under $1,500/person): Lodging, green fees, and travel combined. Best destinations: Myrtle Beach, Las Vegas off-season, Palm Springs in summer, Northern Michigan in June or September.
Group / Bachelor Party Trip ($1,500–$3,000/person): Great courses and solid off-course options. Best: Scottsdale, Las Vegas, Kiawah Island.
Weekend Getaway ($600–$2,000/person): Two nights, two to three rounds, within driving distance or a short flight. Best: Pinehurst, Streamsong, Sedona, regional options.
Bucket-List Trip ($3,000–$6,000/person): Courses you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Best: Bandon Dunes, Pebble Beach, Scotland, St Andrews.
International Escape ($3,000–$6,000+/person): Links golf, history, or somewhere completely different. Best: Scotland, Ireland, Nova Scotia.
Pick your type. Then read the section that matches.
Best Budget Golf Trips: Under $1,500 Per Person
Budget golf travel doesn’t mean settling for bad golf. It means picking the right destination at the right time of year – and knowing which courses deliver real quality at manageable prices.
Myrtle Beach, SC — The Budget King
No destination in America delivers more golf per dollar than Myrtle Beach. Over 80 courses stretch along 60 miles of South Carolina coastline, and the package infrastructure here — bundled lodging plus green fees — means a group of four can pay under $1,000 per person for three nights and four rounds when planned properly.
Green fees run $35–$250 depending on the course. Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, a Mike Strantz design with live oaks and Lowcountry scenery, sits at the top end at $150–$250 a round. TPC Myrtle Beach runs $125–$200. For the best pure value, the Founders Club at Pawleys Island delivers excellent conditioning at $50–$100. A four-round trip mixing two premium courses with two value plays costs $800–$1,200 per person all-in when booked through a package site.
Spring (March–May) and fall (September–November) are the sweet spots: best course conditions, best deals, and none of the brutal summer humidity. An affordable golf trip to Myrtle Beach in these windows is genuinely hard to beat.
Myrtle Beach isn’t the most glamorous name in golf travel. The resort-strip vibe isn’t Pinehurst. But the value-to-quality ratio is the best in American golf — and the quality floor is higher than most people expect.
Las Vegas, NV — Off-Season Value Nobody Talks About Enough
Vegas in summer sounds like a genuinely bad golf idea. That’s exactly why it’s such a good deal. Summer green fees at the Las Vegas Paiute courses — all three ranked among GolfPass’s Top 50 Public Courses for 2026 — drop to $75–$110 from their winter peaks of $150–$200+. Wynn Golf Club and Shadow Creek charge $500+ year-round, but you don’t need either to have one of the most interesting golf trips in America.
The off-season formula: tee off at 5:30 AM before the heat builds, play two rounds at Vegas Paiute, add one round at Cascata or Serket (formerly Rio Secco, now managed by Cabot and dramatically improved), and be off the course by noon. The hotels run cheap in summer too. A four-round, three-night trip comes in at $1,200–$1,800 per person versus $2,500+ in peak season.
Hot weather golf is miserable after 10 AM. Early tee times in summer, though, reveal a version of Las Vegas golf that almost nobody’s talking about.
Best Bachelor Party Golf Trips
Great bachelor party golf destinations need two things working at the same time: courses good enough that the golfers can’t complain and off-course infrastructure strong enough that the non-golfers — or golfers who want a break — have something genuine to do. Here’s how each destination fits.
Scottsdale, AZ — The Undisputed Group Golf Capital
Scottsdale is the answer for bachelor parties and it’s not particularly close. No other US destination combines 200+ courses, direct flights from virtually every major city, and nightlife dense enough to fill every evening without repeating a bar.
Build the trip around one or two premium rounds and two value plays. TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course — the par-3 16th hole alone justifies the price of admission — runs $399–$550 in peak season (October–April) and drops to around $303 in summer. Troon North’s Monument Course runs $200–$300. Mix those with We Ko Pa (Saguaro or Cholla courses, $100–$200) and Talking Stick (36 holes at $99 with easy replay options), and a four-round, three-night trip comes in at $1,500–$2,500 per person all-in.
Base the group in Old Town Scottsdale for the post-round scene. The Hyatt House Old Town puts you within a 10-minute walk of enough restaurants and bars to cover every evening. Groups of 8–16 handle Scottsdale logistics easily because the course selection scales with group size and every budget tier.
Late October and late March hit the sweet spot: great weather, slightly lower rates than peak, and less competition for tee times than January through March.
Las Vegas, NV — When You Want Golf AND Vegas
Vegas bachelor parties aren’t golf trips with nightlife added on — they’re Vegas trips that happen to include golf. That distinction matters for building the right itinerary.
Play in the morning. Bear’s Best (a compilation of Nicklaus-designed holes, $175–$250) or Bali Hai ($150–$250) deliver excellent experiences at manageable prices. Angel Park runs two 18-hole courses at $99–$149. Tee off at dawn, finish by noon, spend the afternoon poolside, and let the Strip handle the rest.
One honest limitation: if everyone in the group cares about golf above everything else and playing 36 holes matters, Scottsdale is the better call. Vegas golf is exceptional but the city will pull the group away before the back nine is done. Vegas is the right pick when a third or more of the group cares more about Vegas than fairways.
Kiawah Island, SC — The High-End Bachelor Party
Kiawah Island works for bachelor parties where everyone’s settled into adult life and the group has outgrown the foam-cowboy-hat era. The Ocean Course — host of the 2021 Ryder Cup and one of Pete Dye’s most demanding designs — runs $200–$463/round depending on season. Four of the five Kiawah courses are excellent. The resort handles large groups cleanly.
Trip cost runs $2,500–$5,000 per person. That’s real money. It’s also the right call when the crew wants a legitimately world-class experience and the prestige of saying they played the Ocean Course.
Best Weekend Golf Trips
The best weekend golf trips share three characteristics: within driving distance or a sub-2.5-hour flight, at least two courses worth traveling for, and lodging that doesn’t require booking a full resort package.
Pinehurst, NC — Six resort courses plus a dozen strong regional options in the Sandhills. Fly into Raleigh-Durham (70 miles away) or drive from Charlotte in 90 minutes. Pinehurst No. 2 and No. 4 are the headliners. Two nights and three rounds costs $600–$1,000 per person including lodging. This is the most complete weekend golf trip on the East Coast — full stop.
Streamsong, FL — An hour south of Tampa, three courses on reclaimed phosphate land with a links feel that doesn’t exist anywhere else in Florida. No houses. No traffic. Just golf. Green fees run $179–$419/round. The Black course, designed by Gil Hanse, is the gem of the property. A two-night, three-round trip runs $1,000–$1,800 per person using the resort’s on-site accommodation.
Sedona, AZ — Not the first name anyone mentions for a weekend golf trip, and that’s precisely why it works. Red-rock canyon scenery surrounding courses like Sedona Golf Resort ($75–$150) makes for a round you won’t forget. Best from October through April. Drive from Phoenix in under two hours, and the off-course canyon hiking and restaurant scene covers the evening easily.
Galena, IL — For Midwest golfers within driving distance of Chicago or Madison, Eagle Ridge Resort’s three courses (North, South, General) provide a legitimate long-weekend option at $60–$90/round with full resort lodging on site.
Best Golf Trips in the US by Region
Best Southeast Golf Trips
Three destinations anchor the Southeast for golf travel, and each delivers a distinctly different experience.
Pinehurst, NC remains the Cradle of American Golf. Nine resort courses, Donald Ross architecture baked into every contoured green, and a village setting that feels like golf’s version of a cathedral town. Pinehurst No. 2’s restored turtle-back greens will break your heart on the back nine — in the best possible way. No. 4, redesigned by Gil Hanse, is what many golfers quietly consider the more enjoyable round on the property. Trip budget: $2,000–$4,000/person.
Kiawah Island, SC — The Ocean Course is legitimately one of the 10 best public-access golf experiences in the world, and the resort’s setting on the South Carolina coast is spectacular. Four other courses on the island give you options across three or four days without repeating. Trip budget: $2,500–$5,000/person.
Hilton Head, SC — Harbour Town Golf Links, host of the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage, is the showpiece at $250–$450/round. The island has 20+ courses ranging from $75 at Sea Pines to $300+ at Palmetto Dunes. For a group that wants beach access alongside golf, Hilton Head is the move.
Best Florida Golf Trips
Florida is the most underrated destination in American golf for one reason: most golfers assume it’s all flat, easy, and visually boring. That assumption is wrong.
Streamsong is the best golf resort in Florida and it isn’t close. Three courses — Red (Coore & Crenshaw), Blue (Tom Doak), Black (Gil Hanse) — sit on reclaimed mining land that creates genuine contour and elevation that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the state. The Red course’s opening holes feel more like a proper links than anything Florida is supposed to produce. Drive 90 minutes south from Tampa. Trip cost: $1,800–$3,500/person.
TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium Course) is iconic for the 17th island green alone. Green fees run $225–$325 on limited public access days. Stay in Ponte Vedra Beach and the rest of Northeast Florida golf — Sawgrass Country Club, the Slammer & Squire — fills out a solid three-round weekend.
Bay Hill Club & Lodge (Orlando) offers limited public access to the course where Arnold Palmer built his legacy. It’s tighter than it looks on TV. Green fees: $175–$325. Combine with Streamsong for a two-destination Florida weekend trip that covers the full spectrum of what the state actually offers.
Best timing for Florida golf: November through April. Summer means afternoon thunderstorms, genuine heat, and 60% lower prices. For heat-tolerant golfers willing to tee off at 7 AM, summer Florida offers some of the best budget golf windows in the country.
Best East Coast Golf Trips
Bethpage State Park, NY — Bethpage Black charges $89 for New York State residents and $135 for non-residents. A legitimate major championship venue (five U.S. Opens and counting) at that green fee is the single most underrated value in American golf. The warning sign on the first tee — noting the course is “not recommended for the higher handicapper” — is accurate. Pair it with Bethpage Red ($48 in-state) for a budget two-round Long Island weekend that delivers a bucket-list experience at a fraction of what Pebble Beach charges.
Pinehurst, NC (see Southeast section) remains the crown jewel of East Coast destination golf. There’s no close second.
Kiawah Island / Hilton Head round out the East Coast options for golfers who want resort-style experience with coastal scenery.
Best Midwest Golf Trips
The Midwest gets skipped in national golf conversations. That’s the Midwest golfer’s competitive advantage: less competition for tee times, lower prices, and some world-class courses hiding in plain sight.
Kohler, WI — Pete Dye built four courses at Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run outside Kohler, Wisconsin. The Straits Course at Whistling Straits hosted the 2021 Ryder Cup and every hole feels like it belongs above Lake Michigan. Green fees run $160–$250+/round at Straits. A Kohler weekend — two rounds across courses, two nights at The American Club ($250–$450/night) — delivers a resort golf experience that genuinely rivals Scottsdale at $1,500–$2,500/person.
Branson, MO — Buffalo Ridge Springs and Top of the Rock (a Jack Nicklaus par-3 course, free to walk after 3 PM) anchor Ozark golf. Total trip cost under $1,200/person for three nights and three rounds.
Brainerd, MN — Cragun’s Resort on Gull Lake, now under new ownership with all 54 holes redesigned by Tom Lehman, is the best resort golf value in the upper Midwest. The Classic at Madden’s sits comfortably in the Top 100 public course tier nationally. A three-round, two-night trip runs $800–$1,200/person.
Best Michigan Golf Trips
Northern Michigan deserves a dedicated section because no single US state outside the Southeast offers this concentration of genuinely excellent public golf within one driveable region — and national golf media consistently sleeps on it.
Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club (Arcadia, MI) is the best links-style course in the Midwest. Seventy-two bluff-top acres overlook Lake Michigan, the wind blows constantly, and the routing demands genuine shot-making rather than target golf. The South Course alone justifies a trip. Green fees: $175–$250 peak season (June–September).
Bay Harbor Golf Club (Petoskey, MI) winds along three miles of Lake Michigan shoreline with waterfront holes on every nine. The Links nine — bluff-top holes with the lake visible from every tee box — is the most photographed stretch of golf in Michigan. Green fees: $80–$175 depending on season.
Forest Dunes Golf Club (Roscommon, MI) houses Tom Doak’s Loop — a single 18-hole course that plays as two distinct 18-hole routing options, reversed. You can play 36 holes of different golf on one piece of land. It’s the most architecturally interesting design in the state. Green fees: $125–$185 for The Loop.
Treetops Resort (Gaylord, MI) packages five courses — including the Jones Masterpiece, a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design with dramatic elevation changes and sweeping downhill tee shots across a Northern Michigan ridge — into one resort with stay-and-play packages starting around $300/night including golf.
Michigan golf trips work best as long-weekend to five-day trips during the June through September season. July and August are busiest; book late June or early September for the best combination of great weather and manageable prices. Northern Michigan’s best golf courses for a Michigan golf trip are all within a 30–60 minute drive of each other, making the logistics simple.
Best Bucket-List Golf Trips in the US
Some trips aren’t about value. They’re about the courses you’ll remember for the rest of your golf life.
Bandon Dunes, OR is the greatest pure golf destination in America and it isn’t close. Five courses — Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Old Macdonald, Sheep Ranch — all play above a dramatic Pacific Ocean bluff on the Oregon coast. No carts. No houses. No distractions. Green fees run $120–$420 depending on course and season. A four-night, five-round package costs $2,500–$4,500/person.
Here’s what most golf writers won’t tell you about Bandon Dunes: if you’re a high handicapper who loses four balls a round, the courses will frustrate you. The wind is relentless, the rough punishes offline shots, and the greens play fast. Go to Myrtle Beach first, get your ball-striking to a functional level, then make the trip. At a 9–15 handicap, Bandon Dunes is one of the best weeks of a golfer’s life. At a 24 handicap, it’s an expensive ordeal.
Golfers who go once almost always go back.
Pebble Beach, CA — The iconic 18 holes along Carmel Bay have hosted six U.S. Opens and produce one of the most recognizable rounds in golf. Green fees run $275–$695. A full Pebble Beach experience — Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill, and Monterey Peninsula’s Dunes Course — costs $3,500–$6,000 per person for three nights. Worth doing once. Some golfers find the per-round cost too steep to justify repeating.
Pinehurst No. 2 + No. 4, NC — More accessible than Pebble Beach, more historically significant than nearly anything else in the US, and meaningfully cheaper at $150–$595/round depending on the package and season. The best cost-to-prestige ratio of any bucket-list US golf trip.
Best Winter Golf Trips
Winter golf trips serve one purpose: escape the cold and play courses that are impossible or miserable in January at home.
Florida — Streamsong (November–April), TPC Sawgrass, and the Orlando-area courses hit peak season conditions November through March. Green fees run at or near their highest during this window.
Scottsdale/Phoenix, AZ — The best winter golf in the continental US. January through March brings perfect 70-degree days, every major resort at full operation, and the WM Phoenix Open if a PGA Tour experience fits the itinerary. Peak pricing ($399–$550 at TPC Stadium) but the conditions earn it.
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico — Palmilla, Club Campestre, and the Quivira Golf Club deliver an international feel at three to four hours from most major US cities. Green fees run $200–$500/round. A four-night trip costs $2,000–$4,500/person. November through April is the playable window.
Hawaii — Kapalua’s Plantation Course on Maui (host of the PGA Tour’s Sentry Tournament of Champions) runs $295–$350/round. The Mauna Kea Resort courses on the Big Island run $185–$225. No winter golf scenery in the US touches the Big Island’s lava-field fairways or Maui’s ocean views. Budget $4,000–$7,000/person for five nights.
Myrtle Beach in November–February — The most overlooked winter golf window in the US. Green fees drop significantly, crowds thin out, and Caledonia Golf & Fish Club becomes playable at rates that feel almost like an error. Bring a light jacket for morning rounds.
Best Golf Trips in the World
Scotland — The World’s Best Golf Value (and It’s Not Close)
Scotland is the most underrated international golf destination for American golfers, and the value argument is overwhelming enough that it needs to be said plainly: Scotland beats Ireland on value per round by a margin most golf travel writers refuse to acknowledge.
Royal Dornoch — a top-10 course in the world by virtually every ranking — charges approximately £110–£165 ($140–$210 USD) per round. Carnoustie’s Championship Course, an Open Championship venue, runs £80–£210 ($100–$270). Cruden Bay, one of the most entertaining links courses you’ll ever play, costs around £70 ($90). A five-course Scotland trip — Dornoch, Carnoustie, Crail, Cruden Bay, one Old Course ballot try at St Andrews — costs $3,000–$5,000 per person including flights and accommodation.
Compare that to Ireland. The five Southwest Ireland classics (Ballybunion Old, Waterville, Dingle, Lahinch, Old Head) total approximately €2,000 in green fees before a single hotel night or flight. Ireland is spectacular and worth the money when you’ve planned and budgeted properly. Scotland gives you equally great golf at roughly half the cost.
Getting onto the Old Course at St Andrews: the ballot system opens at 2 PM the day before your desired round. Enter every day of your trip to maximize chances. Tour operators like PerryGolf purchase guaranteed times and sell them as part of packages — the most reliable route for 2026, though the most expensive. Guaranteed single tee times for 2026 through the Links Trust ballot are already sold out.
Ireland — Worth the Price If You Plan It Right
Southwest Ireland’s links circuit is the greatest concentration of links golf on the planet. Ballybunion Old, Waterville, Dingle Links, Lahinch, Tralee, Old Head — every course lives up to its reputation. The 14th hole at Ballybunion Old is one of the greatest par-4s in the world. The Dell at Lahinch is the most famous blind par-3 in golf and every bit as fun as advertised.
Budget the honest number: €2,000–€2,500 in green fees alone for five premium rounds. Add flights ($800–$1,200 from the East Coast) and accommodation ($150–$250/night for B&Bs throughout County Kerry and County Clare), and a seven-night trip comes in at $4,500–$7,000 per person. Plan it over 12–18 months, save properly, and it delivers.
September 2026 is the ideal window: Walker Cup at Lahinch (September 5–6), the Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg (September 10–13), and the summer crowds gone. That two-week window is the best time in Irish golf history to be in County Clare.
Nova Scotia, Canada — The Best Value in North America
Cabot Cape Breton is the best golf resort in North America for dollar-versus-experience. With the current exchange rate, American golfers receive a 25–30% effective discount on everything in Canada. Cabot Cliffs — ranked among the world’s top 20 courses by virtually every serious panel — charges approximately CAD $450 ($330 USD) per round. Cabot Links, the walking-only adjacent links, runs CAD $350 ($255 USD).
A five-night Cabot trip covering two rounds at Cliffs, two at Links, and one side round at Northumberland Links costs approximately $3,000–$4,500 USD per person. For a coastal links experience that rivals Ireland or Scotland at meaningfully lower cost, this is the trip most American golfers haven’t taken yet — and should.
The logistics work cleanly: fly into Halifax, drive north to Fox Harb’r (new Ocean and Vineyard course routing coming in 2027), continue 3.5 hours to Cape Breton Island. Road-trip structure suits groups of 4–8.
The 2026 Golf Events Calendar: Trips Worth Timing Around
Several 2026 tournaments give golfers a reason to anchor travel around a specific week:
Best Golf Trips Comparison Table — 2026
| Destination | Best For (Trip Type) | Green Fees | Best Timing | Trip Cost /Person (3–4 days) | # Courses | Shoulder Season Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myrtle Beach, SC | Budget | $35–$250 | Mar–May, Sep–Nov | $800–$1,500 | 80+ | 30–40% (Nov–Feb) |
| Scottsdale, AZ | Group / Bachelor | $99–$550 | Oct–Apr | $1,500–$3,000 | 200+ | 35–50% (May–Sep) |
| Las Vegas, NV | Budget / Bachelor | $75–$500 | Off-peak (May–Sep) | $1,200–$2,500 | 50+ | 40–60% (May–Sep) |
| Palm Springs, CA | Value / Groups | $25–$250 | Nov–Apr | $1,200–$3,000 | 100+ | 40–55% (May–Sep) |
| Pinehurst, NC | Bucket List / Weekend | $150–$595 | Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov | $2,000–$4,000 | 40+ | 20–30% (Jan–Feb) |
| Streamsong, FL | Weekend / Hidden Gem | $179–$419 | Nov–Apr | $1,800–$3,500 | 3 (+2 short) | 15–25% (May–Sep) |
| Kiawah Island, SC | Resort / Bachelor | $200–$463 | Mar–May, Sep–Nov | $2,500–$5,000 | 5 | 25–35% (Jan–Feb) |
| Northern Michigan | Midwest Escape | $35–$250 | Jun–Sep | $1,000–$2,500 | 40+ | 30–45% (Jun/Sep) |
| Bandon Dunes, OR | Bucket List (serious golfer) | $120–$420 | Jun–Oct | $2,500–$4,500 | 6 | 20–30% (Oct–Nov) |
| Pebble Beach, CA | Once-in-a-lifetime | $275–$695 | May–Oct | $3,500–$6,000 | 5 | 10–20% (Jan–Mar) |
| Kohler, WI | Resort / Group | $160–$250+ | May–Oct | $1,500–$2,500 | 4 | 20–30% (May/Sep) |
| Scotland | International Value | £70–£210 | May–Sep | $3,000–$5,500 | 500+ (region) | 20–30% (May/Sep) |
| Ireland (Southwest) | Links Bucket List | €125–€250 | May–Sep | $4,500–$7,000 | 30+ (region) | 15–25% (May/Sep) |
| Nova Scotia, Canada | Value International | CAD $350–$450 | Jun–Sep | $3,000–$4,500 | 20+ | 20% (Jun/Sep) |
| Cabo San Lucas, MX | Winter Escape | $200–$500 | Nov–Apr | $2,000–$4,500 | 15+ | 20–30% (May–Oct) |
How to Save Money on a Golf Trip
Booking smarter costs nothing. These five tactics work regardless of destination.
- Travel midweek. Tee times on Tuesday and Wednesday run 20–40% cheaper than weekend rates at virtually every resort destination in America. Sunday night through Wednesday morning is the optimal window for lodging discounts too.
- Book shoulder season. Every destination has one. Late October in Scottsdale. June in Northern Michigan. September in Myrtle Beach. May in Scotland. Shoulder season delivers peak-season course conditions at off-peak prices — consistently the best bang-for-dollar window in affordable golf travel.
- Use replay rounds. Many destinations, especially Myrtle Beach, offer $20–$50 replay discounts on a same-day second round after 2 PM. Groups who play 36 holes in a day save significantly versus booking two separate tee times.
- Bundle lodging and golf into stay-and-play packages. Pinehurst, Bandon Dunes, Kiawah Island, and Cabot all offer packages that save $150–$300 per person versus booking lodging and tee times separately.
- Book early and commit. Premium destinations — Bandon Dunes, Kiawah, Cabot, Kohler — fill weekend tee times three to six months in advance. Waiting costs you both availability and price. The golfers who wait for a deal at Bandon Dunes in July end up playing a Tuesday round in October. Book early. Commit to the trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
For groups and bachelor parties, Scottsdale is the best golf trip in the US — 200+ courses, direct flights from every major city, and a nightlife scene strong enough to fill every evening. For a serious golfer who wants the best pure golf experience on American soil, Bandon Dunes on the Oregon coast is the answer. For value, Myrtle Beach delivers more golf per dollar than any destination in America.
Myrtle Beach, SC, is the most affordable golf destination in America. Green fees start at $35/round, package deals bundle lodging and golf for significant savings, and a group of four can play four rounds over three nights for under $1,000 per person. Las Vegas off-season — May through September — is the runner-up, with top-50 ranked courses available at 40–60% off their winter peak pricing for golfers willing to tee off before 7 AM.
Scotland. Not Ireland. Scotland gives you Royal Dornoch, Carnoustie, Cruden Bay, Crail, Prestwick, and hundreds more links courses at prices significantly lower than comparable Irish venues. A top-five Scotland trip costs $3,000–$5,000 per person. A comparable Ireland circuit runs $4,500–$7,000. Both deliver spectacular golf. Scotland is the better value — and it’s not a close comparison.
Scottsdale is the best golf trip for a guys group — the combination of great courses, off-course nightlife, easy logistics (direct flights from everywhere, courses from $99 to $550), and the ability to handle groups from 4 to 20 makes it the most versatile group destination in America. Las Vegas is the second pick when half the group wants Vegas more than fairways. Kiawah Island is the high-end pick for a more refined guys trip anchored by a World Ryder Cup course.
Summer golf works best in northern destinations where heat isn’t a factor. Northern Michigan (Arcadia Bluffs, Bay Harbor, Forest Dunes) peaks in July and August. Bandon Dunes plays best June through October. Nova Scotia runs June through September. Scotland and Ireland are best May through September. For southern US destinations, summer means 40–60% price drops but brutal heat — book tee times before 8 AM or choose a northern destination.
Scottsdale — specifically Old Town as your base — is the best bachelor party golf destination in the US. Great courses at multiple price points, walking-distance nightlife, easy large-group logistics, and the flexibility to mix premium rounds ($399–$550 at TPC Stadium) with budget plays ($99 at Talking Stick) gives a best man more control over the trip than any other destination in the country. Las Vegas is the right call when the groom explicitly wants Vegas over golf.
Northern Michigan golf trips are absolutely worth it and are significantly underrated nationally. Arcadia Bluffs, Bay Harbor, Forest Dunes, and the Treetops and Boyne resorts together form one of the most concentrated collections of excellent public golf in America. Peak-season green fees run $35–$250. A five-day Northern Michigan trip costs $1,000–$2,500 per person. The Lake Michigan scenery and the relative lack of crowds compared to Myrtle Beach or Scottsdale make it the best-kept secret in Midwest golf travel.
The Bottom Line on Golf Travel in 2026
Scottsdale for groups, Myrtle Beach for value, Bandon Dures for the serious golfer, Scotland for international travel — these aren’t random picks, they’re the right answer for specific trip types. Pick the type first. Match the destination second. The group chat has been waiting for someone to make the call.
For a full breakdown of how to build these trips on a budget, check out our best golf packages under $1,500 guide — including how to find stay-and-play deals that most booking sites won’t surface.