Golf Vacations - Not Just for Hard Core Golfers Any More!
With your tour guide,
Anne P. Mitchell
| Summary: Golf vacations aren't just for hard core golfers any more. With thousands of golf vacation sites catering to golfers of all levels, and to their families, golf vacations can be fun for the whole family, and for amateur and experienced golfer alike! |
Golf vacations combine wonderful golfing with lots of other activities and sights. If you’re an avid golfer planning your next vacation, you’re in luck. There are over 2,000 golf resorts in the US alone that combine play with rest. According to Golf Digest magazine, the top 20 golf destinations in the world include eight courses in the continental US, plus three in Hawaii. Since many golfers are taking their families along, the new golf resorts cater to players and non-players alike by offering a variety of attractions, from luxurious spas (such as the one at Four Seasons North Troon in Scottsdale) to water slides and a swim-up bar (Westin La Paloma, Tucson). For those looking for something more exotic, The Boulders Golf Resort at Carefree, Arizona, offers meditation with a shaman and night-vision goggles for nocturnal wildlife watching.
And there are dozens of great golf packages available right now to fit any budget. For those who cannot afford to book complete packages, there’s always the option of sketching up your own vacation. Tourism’ bureaus are now trying to entice more visitors by providing options beyond the boundaries of the golf resorts. California, for example, is actively promoting a ” wine & golf vacation,” where visitors not only have a chance to tee off on some of the best greens in the state, but also enjoy the top wineries along the Central Coast. Other states are offering unique opportunities in art or cuisine. This is especially true of lesser-known areas that need a way to compete against traditional golf destinations such as Las Vegas, Palm Springs, and the Carolinas.
In the international arena, Scotland takes the upper hand, with some of the best greens plus packages that include full-day excursions to Loch Ness, Glamis Castle (the setting of Shakespeare’s Macbeth), and other top visitor attractions. Some unlikely destinations that are gathering world attention are Portugal (Oitavos Golf is the 1st Gold Course in Europe, set within the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park), Italy (The WWG - ‘Wide World of Golf’- offers gourmet golf packages, where visitors can learn to cook classic Italian dishes from a master chef), and Mexico (Puerto Vallarta, on the coast, is the premier golf destination in the country and home to some of the most beautiful beaches ).
Whatever your style and budget, there’s probably a golf package out there to fit your needs. So look around, pack your golf bags, and enjoy!
Recommended reading (click on the picture for details):
