These 10 U.S. Golf Resorts Voted The Best For 2026
“Golf travel demand remains strong, but today’s golfer is making more thoughtful decisions,” said Buffalo Groupe CEO Kyle Ragsdale. That means players want trips, stays, and greens that are practically guaranteed to deliver. Here are ten U.S. golf resorts that players and experts believe do just that.
How Was This List Made?
The USA TODAY 10 BEST Golf Resorts were carefully curated by a panel of subject matter experts and USA TODAY editors before being voted on by the public.
USA TODAY said about the top resorts singled out in its 10Best honors: “Golf resorts provide the perfect blend of luxury, relaxation, and sport — all wrapped up in one stunning and convenient spot. These 10 resorts have at least one standout 18-hole course, provide top-notch accommodations and amenities, and offer delicious dining options. They also offer a range of other activities so that the non-golfers along for the getaway have plenty to enjoy as well.”
The 2026 Winners
While many iconic resorts return to this ‘best of the best’ list, some fresh-off-renovation favorites also appear, along with new offerings. Here are 10 golf resorts across America that more than deliver.
1. Four Seasons Lanai (Hawaii)
Golfers could spend weeks playing Hawaii’s best courses, but the Four Seasons Resort Lanai offers some hard-to-beat features, including a Jack Nicklaus-signature course built on lava outcroppings. When not teeing off, guests can lounge on the private beach or soak in one of many pools.
Designed by the Golden Bear himself, Manele Golf Course is exclusively available to Four Seasons resort guests. As you head into your round, you’ll naturally work your way up a mountain and be treated to stunning views of Hulop’e Bay. However, once you reach the fifth hole, you turn downhill, and the rest of the course snakes downward. Many spots from here on out hug the shoreline and will require you to play some intelligent golf if you’re to keep your score intact.
2. Big Cedar Lodge (Missouri)
A Who’s Who of the greatest golf course designers in modern history was brought in, and the result has been non-stop awards and accolades. “People in America should really make an effort to come and see what exists here,” Gary Player said. “It’s beyond one’s belief.”
No place on earth offers the breadth and variety of golf experiences across its six courses.
- Payne’s Valley: Tiger Woods’ first public-access course in the U.S.
- Top of the Rock Golf Course: a Jack Nicklaus par-3 9-hole course that was played as part of the PGA TOUR Champions Legends of Golf from 2014-2019.
- Buffalo Ridge Course: ranked in the Top 100 U.S. Resort Courses by GOLF Magazine
- Ozarks National Course: a more traditional experience with sweeping vistas and natural obstacles that’ll test your skills with the clubs.
- Mountain Top Course: This short, 13-hole course is for players of all skill levels. But don’t let that fool you. Intertwined through rock formations, it offers some of the most awe-inspiring views in the Ozarks.
- Cliffhangers: The new, bold, and unique par 3 course dangles on a steep hillside and offers 18 holes of challenges and adventures.
3. BOYNE Golf (Michigan)
BOYNE Golf, one of the largest golf resort destinations in North America, adds another award to its mantle. Already recognized as one of North America’s premier resorts by GOLF Magazine, and the number one Golf Resort for Value by Golf.com, it also contains 2019’s National Golf Course of the Year and Best Courses You Can Play in America accolades.
BOYNE Golf is home to multiple resorts that offer 11 courses, many designed by renowned architects such as Robert Trent Jones Sr., Donald Ross, and Arthur Hills. Golf is so varied and vast, and the accommodation is so unique that each trip is an entirely new experience. It’s why golfers come back again and again and vote in droves for USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
4. The Omni Homestead Resort (Virginia)
Now’s the perfect time to play two of America’s most historic layouts, recently refreshed with a $150 million renovation. The Old Course, the nation’s oldest first tee in continuous use, has been updated by William S. Flynn and Donald Ross. The icon Cascades Course, one of the finest mountain courses in the U.S., is the number one course in Virginia.
See why this Allegheny Mountain resort has drawn guests, including 24 U.S. presidents, for over 250 years.
5. Sea Pines (South Carolina)
Unsurprisingly, The Sea Pines Resort returns to this best-of-the-best list now that the iconic Harbour Town Golf Links has reopened after a six-month upgrade. Players know it as a world-class experience unmatched on the Carolina coastline and one of the best golf destinations in the world. Here, golf is kind and features three stunning courses amid scenic Lowcountry landscapes.
The only Forbes four-star hotel on Hilton Head Island oozes elegance at every turn. For an epic stay, book The Fairway Suite with your private terrace overlooking the first and ninth fairways of Harbour Town Golf Links. Spread out in your living room or the two adjoining king-sized guest rooms with your group.
6. McLemore (Georgia)
Imagine playing golf on an island above the clouds atop Look Mountain. Only 30 minutes from Chattanooga, leave the worries of life behind and play one of the southeast’s golf treasures.
“Like all aspects of McLemore, The Keep evokes emotion, a feeling, a longing. From the beginning, the property continuously revealed itself as special. It is truly a merger of nature, sport, and beauty. It is a day I never want to end, every time,” said Bill Bergin, Course Architect.
“The Keep is uniquely Georgia: co-designed by legendary architect Rees Jones and Georgia-based Bill Bergin, a former Georgia Amateur Champion, pro golfer, and designer of McLemore’s Highlands Course,” adds Georgia Department of Economic Development Chief Marketing Officer Mark Jaronski.
7. Innisbrook Resort (Florida)
Innisbrook Golf Resort’s lush surroundings blend luxurious accommodations with a laid-back atmosphere, plus six pools, tennis courts, and the luxe Salamander Spa. The host of the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship, the property has four courses, including the iconic Copperhead course. Well known for being a very tight course, the final three holes are diabolically hard, a challenge even for the best golfers in the world.
8. The Greenbrier Resort (West Virginia)
Designed by Charles Blair Macdonald, the Greenbrier golf course offers a near-European golf experience. Several of the holes are inspired by and modeled after European icons. Following Lester George’s renovation, The Greenbrier was ranked by Golf Digest as one of the Best New Remodels of 2007.
With the addition of a direct American Airlines flight, getting to the Greenbrier is now easier for those living near Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
9. French Lick Resort (Indiana)
Golf and history enthusiasts are in for a treat at French Lick Resort, which boasts three courses designed by three greats of 20th-century golf course design. Notably, the Donald Ross Course, designed by the icon himself, is considered one of the greatest and most influential course architects of the game’s Golden Age.
10. Bandon Dunes (Oregon)
The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the best-known courses in the country, featuring a complex of five 18-hole courses and two par-3 courses that span a section of dramatic coastline. Located on the rugged Oregon coast with grassy dunes that roll to the sea, Bandon Dunes is known as one of the best golf destinations in the world.
The resort features six distinct award-winning links courses, harmoniously conceived with the natural environment, all designed for a walk-only, soul-stirring golf experience. Book a stay-and-play to enjoy The Lodge and a collection of 10 on-site dining venues. Additional activities include a massage center, fitness center, spa, six miles of hiking trails, and fishing.
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Say Aloha to 9 of Hawaii’s Best Golf Courses
As one of the world’s most alluring islands, Hawaii is known for its spectacular natural beauty. With massive volcanoes, perfect beaches, and crystal blue oceans, and warm people with their welcoming Aloha spirit, it’s not difficult to see why Hawaii is such a popular vacation spot.
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