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Golf travel is hot, just like the game itself.
Golf continued to surge in popularity last year, and this year is trending again.
The annual 2025 Buffalo Groupe Golf Travel Study, conducted last December, noted that nearly 9 in 10 golfers plan to spend as much or more on golf travel in 2026 as they did last year, with half maintaining annual golf travel budgets of $5,000 or more.
“Golf travel demand remains strong, but today’s golfer is making more thoughtful decisions,” said Buffalo Groupe CEO Kyle Ragsdale. “We’re seeing sustained spending paired with higher expectations around value, ease, and overall experience. For destinations and resorts, delivering seamless, memorable golf getaways has never been more important.”
We at GolfPass encourage golf travel. It's great for your game to experience different courses, grasses and backdrops, not to mention how powerful it is for your soul.
Every year, we select the 10 hottest golf destinations based on a few criteria:
1. Which places are hosting top golf tournaments and major championships?
2. Where are the most inspiring new or renovated courses opening?
3. Which courses/destinations fared well in our Golfers' Choice 2026 rankings?
4. We also measure a "cool" factor: Which places would every golfer die to visit? Usually that means some combination of great golf, off-course attractions and good weather. A hint of value or affordability is an added bonus.
If you've already got a golf trip on the books to one of these 10 destinations, consider yourself among the one percent of golfer travelers. If we've sparked your interest, don't delay. Booking early always helps save money and allows the best access before tickets and tee times sell out.
Here are the 10 best golf trips to take in 2026:
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Augusta, Georgia
![the-patch-opening-hero.jpg]()
Augusta Municipal Golf Course, widely known as 'The Patch,' has been redesigned and rebuilt over the past year and will formally reopen to regular play on April 15, 2026. Augusta Municipal Golf Course Believe it or not, Augusta has never made our "best golf trips" column because the access to play golf before or after the tournament has been so limited. That will always be the case, but at least this year, there's a new public game in town. The restored Augusta Municipal Golf Course, called The Patch, reopens in April after an extensive project led by Tom Fazio, Tiger Woods and Beau Welling to upgrade the facility. After that, golfers can point their compass west to play at Reynolds Lake Oconee or Lanier Islands, a more affordable Golfers' Choice favorite in Buford.
Which golf destination do you want to visit in 2026? Let us know in the comments below.
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England's 'Golf Coast'
![Royal Birkdale Golf Course]()
The major championship links of England's Golf Coast get the rare double this year with Royal Birkdale hosting the Open in Southport the week of July 12-19, followed by the AIG Women's Open July 29-Aug. 2 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Golfers can't go wrong whether they attend either (or both?) of these championships or just base a golf trip around checking these links off the bucket list before or after the pros. GolfPass offers one package to attend The Open and another one just to savor the links.
![Hillside Golf Club - 18th hole]()
![The 146th Open Championships at Royal Birkdale]()
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Southwest Ireland
![Lahinch]()
One of the world's greatest par 3s: Dell. GolfPass Southwest Ireland should always be top-of-mind when considering a golf trip. This fall will be extra special with the Walker Cup coming to Lahinch Sept. 5-6, followed by the Amgen Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg from September 10-13. These events align so perfectly that a true golf fan could attend the Walker Cup, play a few local links like Dooks, Waterville and Ballybunion and then return to Doonbeg to watch the home crowds root on Rory McIlroy. What a treat that week would be. GolfPass offers multiple packages to the Southwest of Ireland.
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Southern California
![Monarch Beach Golf Links]()
A view from a bridge at Monarch Beach Golf Links. Monarch Beach Golf Links Southern California is always a happening place, but two visits from the United States Golf Association give its golf scene some extra juice this year. Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades - best known as a Tour stop for the Genesis Invitational - hosts its first women's major, the U.S. Women's Open June 4-7, followed quickly by the 44th Curtis Cup Match June 12–14 at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles. As for where to play, Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point climbed to sixth in our U.S. Top 50 Public Courses, and nearby Pelican Hill's North and South courses are going through a bunker restoration and improvement project that will keep nine holes closed at a time through the remainder of the year.
Monarch Beach Resort Stay & Play Package
CLICK BELOWORANGE COUNTY, CA | Enjoy lodging accommodations at the Waldorf-Astoria Monarch Beach, the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Nigel, the Montage Laguna Beach, or the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa and golf at Monarch Beach Golf Links. -
Austin
![Horseshoe Bay Resort - Slick Rock]()
A view from Slick Rock Course at Horseshoe Bay Resort Ever since the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play died off in 2023, Austin has been left without a professional event to showcase the Texas Hill Country. That changes this year with the PGA Tour's new Good Good Championship being held Nov. 9–15 at the Fazio Canyons Course at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa. We're even more excited for the return of Big Break, which is being filmed at Horseshoe Bay for an August release. Both resorts are stocked with multiple courses worth playing and all the amenities vacationers seek - good restaurants, spas and off-course entertainment. Austin is squarely back on the radar of traveling golfers.
![Horseshoe Bay – Slick Rock - 14th hole]()
Horseshoe Bay Resort Stay & Play PackageHorseshoe Bay, TXHORSESHOE BAY, TX | Enjoy up to 5 nights’ accommodations at Horseshoe Bay Resort and up to 4 rounds of golf at your choice of Horseshoe Bay – Ram Rock, Horseshoe Bay – Apple Rock, and Horseshoe Bay – Slick Rock. -
Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona
![Cattail Course Hole #13 at Whirlwind Golf Club]()
I've already detailed in another article the incredible showing Arizona courses had in Golfers' Choice 2026: Five made the U.S. Top 50. Pair those courses with others like Quintero, The Boulders North Course and Rancho Manana - all of which have seen major upgrades - to give you playing options galore. For those who want to sprinkle in a fan experience beyond the WM Phoenix Open during a stay, the LPGA Ford Championship will be held March 26–29 at the Whirlwind Golf Club's Cattail Course at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler. This fall, the PGA Tour Champions returns to Phoenix Country Club for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship Nov. 12-15. GolfPass boasts more golf packages to the Valley of the Sun than any other destination.
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Nova Scotia, Canada
The newest iconic par 3 in North America is the 16th hole at Cabot Cliffs on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. Courtesy of Cabot Cliffs With the exchange rate, American golfers won't find a better value for world-class golf than Nova Scotia. Last summer, I flew into Halifax for an easy drive up to Fox Harb'r, which will feature new holes in play from its Ocean and Vineyard courses that are on schedule for a full 36-hole reveal in 2027. Golfers can play this unique 18-hole routing to get a taste of each and add on a cool under-the-radar round at Northumberland Links just 20 minutes away. It continues to be upgraded by architect Christine Fraser. Then comes the grand finale: a scenic 3 1/2-hour drive to Cabot Cape Breton, Canada's No. 1 golf resort. Cabot Cliffs jumped squarely into my shortlist of all-time favorite courses.
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Twin Cities, Minnesota
Hazeltine has hosted memorable U.S. Opens and a Ryder Cup. Courtesy of user 'GolferJake78, Iowa Advisor' The political unrest in the Twin Cities this winter shouldn't deter golfers from considering a golf trip here, especially during the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship June 25-28 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska. On the public side of the equation, Minnesota's top municipal course, the historic Keller Golf Course, made the U.S. Top 50 Public Courses in Golfers' Choice 2026 for the first time. While there are lots of quality public options nearby, I'd recommend heading two hours north to Brainerd, where a lot of investment and growth is taking place. Cragun's has new ownership upgrading lodging now that all 54 holes of golf have been remodeled the past three years by Tom Lehman. And don't forget a stop at the region's premier Top 100-caliber course, the Classic at Madden's, and one of the coolest short courses in America, the Gravel Pit.
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Chicago
![2026 Presidents Cup]()
Medinah Country Club's No. 3 Course has been totally redesigned ahead of the 2026 Presidents Cup. PGA TOUR/Getty Images We know the Presidents Cup isn't the Ryder Cup, but Chicago is my favorite U.S. city, so that's reason alone to put a Windy City golf trip on the calendar. Fall in the Midwest can be spectacular, weather wise, and the September 22-27 dates could deliver nice sunny days. American flags and shouts of 'Go U-S-A' will be flying across Course No. 3 at Medinah Country Club, adding a pure patriotic vibe that was missing in New York last fall. For those golfers lucky with private club connections, there are endless places to play. Public golfers shouldn't feel slighted, either. The 36-hole Harborside International Golf Center is the first choice, followed by courses farther out in the suburbs like Cantigny Golf in Wheaton and Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville.
Chicago, IllinoisPublic![Mistwood GC]()
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Las Vegas
![Sun Mountain at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort: #1]()
Sun Mountain at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort: View from #1 Las Vegas isn't for everyone, but there's plenty of reasons for golfers to love Sin City. Las Vegas tourism was down significantly in 2025, which should mean better deals for flights and hotel nights and potentially fewer crowds this year. If you want to base your trip around tournament golf, Shadow Creek is making the pivot from hosting the LPGA Tour's only match play event to the new Aramco Championship, a co-sanctioned event between the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour (LET) in partnership with Golf Saudi. Scheduled for March 30–April 5, the tournament will feature a $4-million purse and a 120-player field competing for 72 holes of stroke play. Seeing the course by buying a ticket is much more affordable than the $1,000+ tee time. If playing golf is your sole focus, there are a fabulous five-some of courses at your disposal. Las Vegas Paiute dominated Golfers' Choice 2026 rankings, placing all three courses among our U.S. Top 50 Public Golf Courses. Since joining Cabot-Managed Properties, the rebranded Serket (formerly Rio Secco) in Henderson and Cascata in Boulder City are a great 1-2 punch to experience while in town. GolfPass offers multiple golf packages to Las Vegas.
![Cascata Golf Club]()
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