Top Winter Golf Destinations
For golfers in the snowbelt regions of the country, winter season means taking a break from golf for a few months. However, there are many places that you can play golf during the winter if you’re willing and able to travel. We decided to look at the PGA Tour for inspiration on the best winter golf destinations. Here are our picks:
Maui, Hawaii
Maui is the home of the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua, which is recognized as the best golf course in Hawaii for fifteen consecutive years by Golfweek. You'll also find the Bay Course on property, which has its famous No. 17 hole which is the only hole to play over the ocean in Maui. You can play several other beautiful courses on the island including Kāʻanapali Golf Resort, Wailea Golf Club and Kahili Golf Course to name a few.
Palm Springs, CA
The Pete Dye Stadium Course at PGA WEST in La Quinta hosts The American Express tournament each year. The Palm Springs area can be extremely hot in the summer, but it’s the ideal getaway from late fall through spring, with a variety of desert courses to choose from. PGA WEST boasts 5 resort courses and 4 private courses, each offering a unique desert golf experience. The five-star La Quinta Resort is also a popular choice along with The Westin Mission Hills Resort and Indian Wells Golf Resort.
San Diego, CA
The Farmers Insurance Open is played at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego at the end of January each year. For years, this has been considered one of the greatest municipal courses in America and is one of the most prominent Southern California golf courses available to the public. Omni La Costa Resort & Spa is another top destination in nearby Carlsbad, CA. The resort was ranked as one of the “Top 100 Golf Resorts in North America” by Golf Magazine. Other favorites include Coronado Golf Course, Maderas Golf Club and Park Hyatt Aviara.
Scottsdale, AZ
The WM Phoenix Open, known as “The Greatest Show on Grass,” is held at TPC Scottsdale annually in early February. This is the best-attended golf tournament in the world with more than 700,000 fans in attendance. If you time your trip, you may be able to attend the tournament and play after if you’re lucky enough to get a tee time. If that doesn’t work you can also choose one of the many high-end luxury golf resorts such as The Westin Kierland Resort, Boulders Resort & Spa or the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale.
Orlando, FL
Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando hosts the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Of course!
Orlando has great weather during the winter, and it also has many other attractions which makes for a great family winter getaway. You can enjoy a round of golf and then spend some time at one of the area’s many amusement parks. The area is also home to many other great golf courses including Orange County National, Celebration, Waldorf Astoria Golf Club, and Shingle Creek.