Golf vacations are a massive industry unto themsleves, with countless operators around the world who specify in the most lucrative recreational form of travel tourism. Fanatics of golf and indeed, those who plan entire vacations around the sport, often fall into one of two subdivisions. Those who seek out courses in exquisite parts of the world or resorts that make up the new breed of ultra-luxurious destinations. Courses in Cabo San Lucas, parts of the Caribbean, Dubai and China fall into this category.
Then you have the connoisseurs. Those with intimate knowledge of golf lore who want to walk in the footsteps of history. There is no more powerful a statement than, “I was there”. These Holy sites of Golf attest to that.
As the birthplace of golf, Scotland has natural appeal to lovers of the game. With records that date as far back as 1744, Muirfield is sacred ground. The Old Tom Morris course is a regular host of The Open Championship and a severe test for any handicap. The unconventional links course sits high above the sea and with dual loops of nine holes, ensures contentious and unpredictable wind gusts from every tee. A private course, tourists can play a round if they plan far in advance.
Hotels in Scotland are a click away.
9. Pebble Beach, United States
A favorite host of the U.S. Open, for followers of the game as much as for the professionals, Pebble Beach is a welcome challenge for those in search of a real break from the public course back home. While Pebble is open to general play, the course is far from a typical public course. On a rugged strip of Monterey, California coastline, Pebble Beach offers more natural distractions than the average world class golf course. One cannot afford diversions here however, as the course plays like a typical U.S. Open course should. That is to say, tough. History is all around the course as well. This is where Tiger Woods took the Open by a record 15 shots back in 2000.
Hotels in the Monterey and general California area right here for your perusal.
The Championship course at Carnoustie is another legend in The Open rotation. Home to the painful and monumental collapse by Jean Van de Velde in 1999, Carnoustie can be nasty. The wind of course, is the usual culprit. It blows fierce at Carnoustie, even more so when The Open takes place in July, which is how the course came to be known as “The Beast”. Carnoustie however, is in many regards, ground zero for golf. The first records of the game originate here, as far back as the year 1527. If your game is off when you play here, just be sure not to sob in your mother’s bosom as Sergio Garcia did when he had a first and second round Open meltdown as a 19-year-old.
More Scotland hotels to best plan your trip to Carnoustie.
7. Winged Foot (West), United States
The state of New York has some of the most beautiful golf courses on the planet. The layout of the West Course at Winged Foot is no exception. Simply put, the course is one of the most spectacular architectural marvels of the golf world. A masterwork in course design and development, Winged Foot West plays long and has been home to some of the best golf action in U.S. Open history. Hale Irwin won here in 1974 with a 7-over-par in a tournament that became known as “The Massacre at Winged Foot”. More recently in 2006, Geoff Ogilfy of Australia won the U.S. Open with a slightly more respectable 5-over-par. Forget about score if you can secure a tee time however. Just to play here is an unforgettable experience, no matter how many balls you lose.
Stay near Winged Foot with some great hotel deals in New York State.
Tradition is what Oakmont represents, above and beyond the majesty and legendary severity of the course. Outside of Pittsburgh in the scenic Allegheny River Valley, Oakmont was the first golf course to receive National Historic Landmark status. The course has been the site for a record eight U.S. Opens and three PGA Championships. With 210 deep bunkers, slippery greens and skinny fairways, there is no room for error at Oakmont. It makes you wonder how on earth Johnny Miller was able to muster a final round 63 at the 1973 Open.
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