5 Bucket List Golf Resorts Your Whole Family Will Enjoy

If your husband is anything like mine, you have bucket list golf trips on the travel calendar that you may not be that excited about. However, you can find once-in-a-lifetime golf resorts the whole family will enjoy where you can do more than just tee off. Check out my top 5!

#1 St. Andrews, Scotland

Known as the “home of golf," St. Andrews tops the bucket list for most golf aficionados who want to play the famous Old Course and any of the 30 spectacular courses nearby. But you might not know this area of Scotland offers plenty to do, even for non-golfers. Everyone can walk Old Course, which is in the middle of town and open to the public, and then the non-golfers can chart their own course. 

The town of St. Andrews is located on the East coast of Scotland, in the Kingdom of Fife, and contains a fascinating history and breathtaking views of the West Sands Beach where Chariots of Fire was filmed. Take in the heritage of the town with a guided tour and explore the cobbled streets and the charming University of St Andrews, made popular by Prince William, who studied there. Make sure to visit St. Andrews Castle, the Cathedral ruins, and one of the many picturesque fishing villages nearby. Get sporty like Princess Catherine with a variety of action-packed activities like clay pigeon shooting, horseback riding, yachting, kayaking, salmon fishing, mountain biking, and hill-walking. 

After a full day of touring, unwind with a whiskey tasting at St. Andrews’ Road Hole Bar, which offers whiskies from more than 200 distilleries. And when you’re ready to truly relax, choose from one of the many spas in the area, including Kohler Waters Spa at the Old Course Hotel - the first Kohler spa experience outside the USA. Choose your favorite treatments and then luxuriate in the waterfall pool, rooftop hot tub, and thermal suite with hydrotherapy, steam, sauna, and light therapy. 

St Andrews town, St. Andrews Castle, West Sands Beach, Highland cow

#2 Pebble Beach, California

We celebrated my husband’s 40th birthday at Pebble Beach. While he golfed, I had an amazing spa day and then joined him at the 18th hole so I could embarrass him by talking loudly, putting poorly, and taking cheesy photos. I’m positive he loved having me there! 

Celebrating my hub's 40th birthday at Pebble Beach!

After he got his golf fix, we drove the spectacular 17-mile drive, dined and shopped in charming Carmel-by-the-Sea, and hiked the trails of the Del Monte Forest. I wish we had planned a second stop in Big Sur, at the Alila Ventana Big Sur, an adult-only Virtuoso resort perched above one of the most dramatic stretches of the coast. Next time! 

17-mile drive, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Del Monte Forest, Alila Ventana Big Sur

#3 Kapalua, Maui

As a Hawaii lover, I can’t write a golf article without including Hawaii’s #1 golf course, the Plantation Course at Kapalua. On the slopes of the West Maui mountains with dramatic ocean views from virtually every hole, the course’s lengthy 7596-yard par 73 layout challenges the pros, but its wide fairways and generous greens make it playable for the average golfer. My husband has checked this box more than once and plans to enjoy the views and long drives with our son on our next trip to Maui.

If you want to stay in Kapalua, both the Ritz Carlton Maui and Montage Kapalua Bay are beautiful properties where I can offer Virtuoso amenities. Or if you’d prefer to stay in central Maui in Wailea, about an hour’s drive from Kapalua, my favorite Virtuoso resorts there are Fairmont Kea Lani and Marriott’s Wailea Beach Resort. 

Magical Maui: Hubs playing Kapalua, Fairmont Kea Lani outrigger canoe, Old Lahaina Luau, hiking Iao Valley State Park

Discover The Magic of Maui Here!

#4 Dominican Republic - Teeth of the Dog

Continuing with the tropical theme, the Caribbean’s #1 rated golf course, Teeth of the Dog, is a must-do for golf connoisseurs. Located at Casa de Campo Resort & Villas in La Romana, about an hour’s drive from the Punta Cana airport, here you’ll find a 7,000 acre resort community with pristine beach and beach club, three Pete Dye golf courses, a marina and yacht club, the quaint artisan’s village of Altos de Chavon, a polo and equestrian center, and tennis courts as well as gorgeous rooms and private villas complete with private pools, butler, and golf cart. 

My family was in La Romana in 2015, but Teeth of the Dog was closed because a former president was golfing there. I guess that means we need to return and experience Casa de Campo this time! 

Casa de Campo resort, golf course, marina, Altos de Chavon village, and beach

The Caribbean Island That's Right For YOU

#5 Ireland - Old Head of Kinsale

While iconic St. Andrews steals the limelight, Old Head Golf Links in County Cork Ireland steals the show. Built on a 220-acre promontory of land jutting out over two miles into the Atlantic Ocean, Old Head offers a piece of golf real estate like no other. With waves crashing 300 feet below and caves running beneath your feet as you play, golfers experience a “pinch me” moment - that is, until their ball falls off the cliff. The Suites at Old Head complement the magnificent setting, with each one offering incredible views across the golf course to the Old Head Lighthouse and Atlantic Ocean beyond.

The Suites at Old Head

While in Cork, experience the famous Blarney Castle, touch the Blarney Stone, and visit the English Market and Blackrock Castle Observatory. If you have extra time, you can explore the Irish countryside through a combination of train and private driver as all my clients have done, or you can self-drive - if you’re game to drive on the left! Killarney and its National Park are just an hour away. From there, you can tour the charming and beautiful Dingle Peninsula. Less than a three hour’s drive puts you in Galway, a lively seaside town and jumping off point for the Cliffs of Moher and Aran Islands. 

Blarney Castle, Killarney National Park, English Market, and Dingle Peninsula

When you’re ready for some bucket list golf, bring the family along and check out one of these spectacular destinations. I can craft a custom package for you that will wow the golfers and non-golfers alike!

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Heather Vergara is a former PepsiCo marketing executive who left the corporate world to be a Mom and never found her way back. Instead, she focused on her passion for travel and adventure and created Show Them the World, a travel concierge service for busy families longing to reconnect and see the world together. She's now a Million Dollar Advisor with Gifted Travel Network, a Virtuoso agency. Heather has helped hundreds of families experience Hawaii, Alaska, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, Italy, France, Greece, England, Croatia, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Africa, Iceland, National Parks, and more to come!

Heather has an MBA in marketing from Indiana University, a Digital Marketing Executive Education certificate from Columbia University, and a BA in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She lives with her husband, two kids, and two furry dogs in Zionsville, Indiana.