Perhaps you are the type of person that feels like it's not a summer trip unless you bring your golf clubs. If so, these six best golf courses to visit this summer should be on your list. They each offer a unique experience that is sure to make lasting tee time memories. Maybe you've already played on at least one of the courses before. Either way, grab your gear and hit the green.
Best Golf Courses To Visit Summer 2018
Pebble Beach
- Location: California
- Holes: 18
- Par: 72
- Yardage: 6,828
The Pebble Beach Golf Links will host its sixth U.S. Open in 2019. This is more than any course in the last 50 years. Golf Digest has also rated Pebble Beach the best public golf course since 2003.
You can stay at the Pebble Beach Resort to play the course and avoid any cart fees. You can also stay off-site and pay the same green fee of $525, but you'll pay a $40 per person cart fee.
If you can't play at the Pebble Beach Golf Links, you can also secure a tee time at one of these four courses:
- Spyglass Hill Golf Course
- The Links at Spanish Bay
- Del Monte Golf Course
- Peter Hay Golf Course
Each course has its own unique flair that is just as tough and scenic as Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Royal Golf La Bagnaia
- Location: Italy
- Holes: 18
- Par: 71
- Yardage: 6,672
Located just outside Siena, Italy, the Royal Golf La Bagnaia is the first 18-hole Tuscan golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. It also happens to be a part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. If you're a Hilton Honors member you can actually use your points to schedule a tee time, take a lesson or save on golf equipment in the Hilton Honors Shopping Mall. "All golf rewards are subject to availability. Tee Time Rewards include 18 holes of golf and a golf cart. To book a tee time reward, members can call the Hilton Honors golf line at +1-800-955-7188 (toll-free in the United States). Tee times can only be booked within 90 days of stay."
Seasonal maintenance is performed during the months of April and September, so summer is the perfect time to play this course.
When you're not playing at the course, you can also relax at the spa and enjoy the Tuscan culture. Some of the additional amenities and services offered at La Bagnaia Golf & Spa Resort Siena, Curio Collection by Hilton include babysitting services on request, business centers and local itineraries for authentic Tuscan experiences. This is definitely one of the best golf courses to visit if you are traveling with non-golfers.
The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island
- Location: South Carolina
- Holes: 18
- Par: 72
- Yardage: 7,356
Ranked the #4 public course in the U.S. and #25 of the Greatest Golf Courses in the U.S. according to Golf Digest, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island is a South Carolina gem bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The Ocean Course will also host the 2021 PGA Championship and already has the honors of hosting the 2012 PGA Championship and 2007 Senior PGA Championship.
Designed by Pete Dye in 1991, the Ocean Course holds the claim of having the most seaside holes (10 holes) in the Northern Hemisphere. That alone makes it one of the best golf courses to visit this summer.
When you're not on the fairway, you can also enjoy the beach or take a day trip to nearby Charleston. This will also be your closest airport. But you can also fly into Columbia, SC or Savannah, GA and take a road trip down.
White Witch Golf Course
- Location: Jamaica
- Holes: 18
- Par: 71
- Yardage: 6,758
Located in the famous Rose Hall Plantation, the White Witch Golf Course is one of the best courses you can play in the Caribbean. The course is named after the plantation's 19th-century mistress, Annee Palmer. It has also been ranked #1 in the Caribbean by Conde Nast Traveler.
On the course, you'll encounter mountainous terrain while enjoying colorful foliage and ocean views on 16 holes. You can even enlist a caddy to help you navigate the course.
If you're still looking for a place to stay, you might consider booking a stay at the all-inclusive Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall Resort. You'll enjoy beachfront access, a relaxation pool, on-site spa, and even swim-up rooms and butler suites. This is why it is a good golf course to visit if you are with travelers who have other plans in mind.
Bethphage State Park
- Location: New York
- Holes: 18
- Par: 71
- Yardage: 7,366
State parks and world-class golf courses aren't always included in the same sentence, but the Bethphage Black Course is the exception. Although the course has been around since the 1930s, it became famous when Tiger Woods was the only golfer to shoot under par in the 2002 US Open.
Since then U.S. golfers have been flocking to the New York State mecca to play one of the most challenging courses in the country. There are actually five different public courses in the Bethphage complex, but the Black Course is the one you should try to play first. Unlike some other prestigious golf courses, a weekend tee time only costs $150.
How often can you play on a professional-caliber course for less than $200? Almost never.
Located in Farmingdale, a Long Island community, Bethphage is easy to get to from any part of the world if you fly into New York City.
St. Andrews Old Course
- Location: Scotland
- Holes: 18
- Par: 72
- Yardage: 6,721
This is where the game of golf began over 600 years ago. At The Old Course, you can play in the footsteps of legends. The Old Course remains a public course and boasts two iconic landmarks, the Swilcan Bridge and Hell Bunker.
Summer is the peak period for the Old Course. You might have to book a tee time through an authorized provider or by submitting a ballot if you're playing with a group. In all, there are seven courses at St. Andrews to try your hand at. You can always walk the Old Course for free if you don't secure a tee time.
These are the seven golf courses at St. Andrews:
- Old Course
- New Course
- Jubilee Course
- Eden Course
- Strathtyrum Course
- Balgove Course
Regardless of which course you play, you can still say you played a round at the Home of Golf!
If you have a few extra days to tour Europe, don't forget that you can book short-haul British Airways award flights for only 4,500 Avios. You won't pay any fuel surcharges on these short flights either, so make the most of your time when you're not swinging a club.
The Best Golf Courses To Visit This Summer
Whether you're an avid golfer or new to the sport, these 6 best golf courses to visit can forge memories that will last a lifetime. All of them are open to the public and are worth traveling to this summer. If you're ready to take your game to the next level, give one of these six courses a try.
