The blooming dogwoods and azaleas of the southeastern U.S. are just weeks away, and the 2021 Masters is kicking off in a matter of weeks. Simply put, the golf season is just around the corner. And oh what a time of year it will be Fortunately, this golf-rich region offers some of the best luxury golf resorts in the country. Here is a selection of world-class destinations from the land of barbecue, bourbon, and college football.
FLORIDA
Innisbrook Golf Resort – Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course is a favorite among PGA TOUR pros and one of the toughest on the track. This high-end resort west of Tampa on the Gulf of Mexico offers four courses and a variety of recently renovated and renovated rooms, suites and vacation rentals.
PGA National Resort and Spa (Pictured above) – Palm Beach County is a golf hotbed, and it doesn’t get any hotter than the PGA National Resort and Spa, home of the PGA TOUR’s Honda Classic. Five golf courses, including the Jack Nicklaus-designed Champ, await golfers ready to take on this tournament-tested venue. With more than 350 rooms, the hotel offers luxurious rooms and suites as well as fine dining, a spa and a fitness center.
Streamsong Resort – One of the newest golf resorts in Florida just got newer with the opening of the Gil Hanse-designed Black Course in 2018. The resort’s red and blue pitches have also quickly made their way onto the national rankings, and Streamsong Lodge is the perfect place to sit back and relax, lapping up.
GEORGIA
Callaway Resort and Gardens – Golf may not be the first thing that springs to mind in this famous water skiing stronghold, but the lake and mountain views of the 18-hole courses are a few underrated gems. Golfers can choose from the AAA Four Diamond Lodge, cottages or villas.
Reynolds Lake Oconee (Picture) – Reynolds Lake Oconee is located in Georgia, Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. That said, a seemingly endless supply of golf in the form of six high-level layouts designed by Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Rees Jones, Bob Cupp and Jim Engh. Accommodation ranges from cozy cottages to the luxurious Ritz-Carlton on Lake Oconee.
Sea Island Resort – While Georgia is better known as the home of the Masters, the RSM Classic at the Sea Island Resort is a PGA TOUR player favorite. So much so that several professionals find their home in this golf paradise on the Atlantic. The Seaside Course is a redesign by Tom Fazio on the Atlantic. The Plantation Course was recently renovated by locals Davis and Mark Love, who also reformulated the Retreat Course in 2001. Sea Island is the only resort in the world to have achieved four Forbes Five stars for 13 consecutive years for its Cloister, Georgian Room and Lodge at Sea Island and Spa at Sea Island.
NORTH CAROLINA
Grandover Resort – Golfers only need to turn off I-85 in Greensboro to access this 36-hole collection designed by Gary Panks. A full-service on-site hotel has everything from casual and fine dining to a spa and fitness center. A full Mediterranean breakfast is available and golfers are just steps from the hotel to their first tee.
Pinehurst Resort (pictured) – – Nine 18-hole courses, including the famous frequent US Open host No. 2 course, make Pinehurst Resort the largest golf resort in the United States. Golfers also love The Cradle, a 9-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 with the north and south bars. And it’s just a short walk to Pinehurst Brewing Co., which has a full grill menu of pulled pork, ribs, and brisket.
Rumbling Soon – Spring in western North Carolina means mountain golf and rumbling soon along scenic Lake Lure with two 18-hole courses, Apple Valley and Bald Mountain, designed by WB Lewis and Dan Maples. Spacious holiday homes in the mountains and holiday apartments in the Fairway Villa are available to linger and play. The lake offers endless off-course activities.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Cherokee Valley Course and Club – Cherokee Valley, the premier golf destination in the US state of South Carolina, is home to a mountain-style PB dye layout, cottages with expansive living rooms and balconies, and a brand new casual restaurant, Core 450. Get ready at one of the most extensive Practice facilities in South Carolina.
Kiawah Island Golf Resort – For golfers who want to play where the pros play this year, the Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course is hosting the 2021 PGA Championship in May. When Pete Dye’s diabolical oceanfront layout is too difficult to master, adorn four another 18-hole courses on this majestic barrier island near Charleston. Get a good night’s sleep at the AAA Five Diamond Sanctuary in Kiawah, one of the best hotels in the South.
Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort (Pictured) – Hilton Head is known as “Golf Island,” and the three beefy layouts in the Palmetto Dunes are a big part of the nickname. Robert Trent Jones has one of the only seaside holes on the island, and George Fazio and Arthur Hills golf courses complete the offer. Golf groups love the popular “Birdies and Beer Getaway” and the resort’s comfortable holiday apartments.
Sea Pines Resort – Sea Pines Resort is located on the south end of Hilton Head Island and is home to the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage Tournament and the famous Harbor Town Golf Links. Two other championship-caliber tracks are at the gates, Heron Point by Pete Dye and Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III. The Forbes Four Star Inn & Club in Harbor Town is just a wedge from the clubhouse and the famous Yacht Basin is just a short trip away.
