As colder weather quickly approaches here in the Midwest, golfers are looking for ideas on where to tee it up in the coming months. Here are a few options:
Tee Time in St. Kitts
Where to Play: Featuring holes on both the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, the award-winning Royal St. Kitts Golf Club is both challenging and breathtaking. Designed by renowned Canadian architect Thomas McBroom, the 18-hole championship course showcases the island’s diverse terrain and native wildlife, while offering dramatic views of the sea and neighboring islands. (Insider tip: Golfers will enjoy Hole 17, which is modeled after the famous hole at Pebble Beach). Need a little guidance on the green? The Royal Golf Academy specializes in all levels of golf instruction, offering short-game lessons by the professional staff, full swing analysis, group clinics and weekly schools. Private, group and playing lessons are also available.
Where to Stay: Located on a golden stretch of sand and overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, St. Kitts Marriott Resort is a captivating island resort bursting with Kittitian hospitality and island-inspired adventure beyond tee time. Home to the largest Vegas-style casino in the Caribbean with 300+ slot machines and 20 table games, this is the perfect place to get lucky! When you need a break from rolling the dice and perfecting your swing, you can explore the rainforest by zip line, hike Mount Liamuiga for a striking island view or unwind with a signature bamboo massage at the Emerald Mist Spa. Guests will enjoy the recently renovated rooms, inspired by the colors of the island.
The Grass is Greener at Suncadia Resort
Where to play: Suncadia Resort is a hole-in-one when it comes to great golf. This Pacific Northwest retreat lies 80 miles east of Seattle and is home to three scenic courses that will challenge you as you take in the views of the property’s 6,400 acres of Cascade Mountain region. Choose from the fast medium sized greens at the Arnold Palmer designed Prospector Course or the Jacobsen Hardy designed Rope Rider Course- built atop and named after the historic Roslyn Coal Mines. All ages and skill levels welcome, with the option to play three, six, or 18 holes.
Where to stay: With Suncadia Resort’s Stay and Play package you can play 36 holes at two of Suncadia’s three championship golf courses. The package includes overnight accommodations at Suncadia’s intimate 18-room Inn which offers guests proximity to the greens with a more private feel. Go beyond the green and enjoy the great outdoors with dozens of property led activities like guided hikes along the 40 miles of trails, a world-class spa, and onsite winery where you can indulge in a private tasting at the underground cellar.
Get to the Green in Barbados
Where to Play: From the moment travelers arrive, they understand why Barbados - home to lush mountainsides and greener countrysides - is the perfect place to escape for a golf vacation. The island is home to a several courses, including the Barbados Golf Club and the Rockley Golf & Country Club, but one of the most acclaimed is Apes Hill Golf & Polo Club. Overlooking the island’s sparkling west coast, Apes Hill offers stunning views and makes golfers feel on top of the world as the course sits 1,000 feet above sea level and peers out onto turquoise waters, coral stone quarries and wooded ravines.
Where to Stay: The House - the 34-room adults-only boutique hotel with chic decor and a vibe that mimics that of the ultimate beach house. The property’s Golf Getaway package even includes one round of golf for two at Apes Hill, round-trip transportation to the course, fresh fruit upon arrival and late checkout so golfers have the option to enjoy an early morning tee time before heading home.
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| Barnsley Resort |
World-class Golf in Georgia
Where to Play: Travelers seeking a world-class golfing experience can take advantage of the Jim Fazio masterpiece at Barnsley Resort. Recognized as some of the fastest greens in the Southeast, Jim Fazio personally selected the 378 acres that wind around the forests, gardens and lake, offering one of the best collections of par 3s. Guests looking to tighten up their course management or improve their swing and sharpen their short game skills, can take advantage of instruction from a PGA golf professional on staff.
Where to Stay: Barnsley Resort, the 3,000-acre resort-meets-playground located on a storybook setting an hour north of Atlanta, offers 90 guest rooms and suites within 36 charming cottages, authentic Southern cuisine, and a boutique spa. Other recreational choices include a 26-station sporting clays course, bird hunting at SpringBank Plantation, fly fishing and horseback riding along picturesque trails.
Par-tee in Mexico
Where to Play: Golfers can get together and tee off while surrounded by crashing waves and tranquil mountains at the Marina Vallarta Club de Golf, just walking distance from Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa. With an array of tee times and a fully stocked Pro Shop with the latest in golf merchandise, the course allows golfers to experience the beauty of Puerto Vallarta. Featuring an 18 hole, 6,701 yard short game area, the course offers plenty of opportunity to fine tune your game. The resort’s concierge can reserve tee times for guests.
Where to Stay: Travelers seeking a beachfront escape and mountain views, can find both on a sandy strip between the Sierra Madre Mountains and Banderas Bay at the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa. When they’re not out on the course, golfers can enjoy a tequila tasting - the resort produces its own tequila - relax with a treatment in the Ohtli Spa, inspired by local Huichol traditions, sample local flavors with sunset guacamole and of course relax and unwind with much-needed beach and pool time.
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| The Resort at Longboat Key Club |
The Resort at Longboat Key Club
Where to Play: Consistently rated among the country's finest golf courses, The Resort at Longboat Key Club has earned Golf Digest's prestigious "Best Places to Play" award and continues to serve as Florida's premier golf resort. The property spans 410 acres and is known for its sports clubs including 45 holes of PGA-approved championship golf courses. Featuring two renovated golf courses, with Paspalum greens, upgraded sustainability processes and enhancements to the bunkers, hazards and more, guest can test their skills on the tree-lined Harbourside Golf Course that runs along Sarasota Bay or the challenging links-style Islandside Golf Course that borders the Gulf of Mexico.
Where to Stay: Situated on the stunning Gulf of Mexico beaches along Florida’s west coast, The Resort at Longboat Key Club is a luxurious active/wellness retreat and the only AAA Four-Diamond resort in Sarasota. The property spans 410 acres and is known for oversized accommodations with private balconies and sports clubs including 45 holes of PGA-approved championship golf courses, 20 Har-Tru tennis courts making up the award-winning Tennis Gardens and the largest deep-water resort marina on Florida’s west coast. The perfect getaway for all ages, guests have a blast whether they prefer to simply relax on the beach or unwind at the spa... or get active with beach cruiser bikes, stand-up paddle boards, boogie boards and kayaks.
