The Best Five-Star Golf Resorts in the US

Kiawah Island Golf Resort has five courses, one of which is a Pete Dye-designed 18-hole course overlooking the Atlantic. The Ocean Course played host to the 2012 PGA Championship, and while the vistas are exceptional, the wind on the course certainly presents a challenge to the golfers who return year after year. Guest accommodations are The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts partner, where non-golfers will enjoy the 11 on-site restaurants, resort pools and communal fire pits, and The Sanctuary Spa.

The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts partner, is a perfect opportunity to opt outside, whether golfing or getting out on the tennis court, hiking, or biking along the Pacific Ocean. In terms of your golf game at Half Moon Bay, the resort has two 18-hole courses—one is the Ocean Course, designed by Arthur Hills, where every hole has a view of the Pacific Ocean waves crashing into the bluffs on which the hotel is perched. The second is the Old Course, which was originally designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer in 1973.

LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, another American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts partner, boasts one of Florida’s best courses. LaPlaya, situated where the Gulf of Mexico and Vanderbuilt Bay meet, is known for LaPlaya Golf Club, home to 18 manicured holes designed by Robert Cupp. You don’t have to be a golfer to indulge in some afternoon spa relaxation—another major draw of LaPlaya. Their 4,500-square-foot SpaTerra features Japanese-style design and indulgent treatments.

On Cape Cod, Wequassett Resort and Golf Club, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts partner, is a coastal getaway with all the New England charms—and 18 holes of golf. For the non-golfers, there are two pools, four tennis courts, two beaches, five restaurants, and one spa—so, no shortage of things to do. As for the par 72 Cape Cod National Golf Course, it has “smooth, fast fairways and greens to its delightfully varied tee-shot landing areas.”

Palmetto Bluff, the largest waterfront property on the east coast, encompasses 20,000 gorgeous and serene acres in Bluffton, South Carolina. It’s home to American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property Montage Palmetto Bluff, whose guests play at May River Golf Club. Their 18-hole course is a prized venue for golfers looking for a practice-heavy retreat, with holes along the river banks and lined by “century-old live oaks.” Those who’d rather spend their outdoor time not on the course can instead try a range of activities like paddleboarding, fishing, river cruising, or kayaking.

The American Club resort in Kohler is setting the scene (and the gold standard) for luxury golf resorts in Wisconsin. The American Club is home to four Pete Dye courses, one of which is Whistling Straits, previously a PGA Championship site. And in 2021, the Straits at Whistling Strait will also “become the first public course to host the Ryder Cup in 30 years.” The American Club is one of the best golf resorts in the U.S. for the pros and the aspiring; sign your budding golfer, or yourself, up for courses at Kohler Golf Academy.

An idyllic golf retreat dating back to 1895, Pinehurst Resort has no fewer than nine courses, plus The Cradle—a short 789-yard practice area. The courses, designed by the likes of Donald Ross, Tom and George Fazio, and Jack Nicklaus, have been opened over the course of 117 years, from 1901 to 2018. Pinehurst is slated to host the 2024 U.S. Open Championship. There are three hotels on the expansive Pinehurst Resort property—stay at the 1923 Manor Inn, which just went through an extensive reimagining, Holly Inn, Pinehurst’s first hotel, or Carolina Hotel, often regarded as the most luxurious place to stay.

You might assume that New England is the only verdant golfing haven in the northeast, but New York and New Jersey make a strong golf showing, too. On Lake George, The Sagamore Resort has an 18-hole Donald Ross golf course. The course has views of the lake and the design deliberately draws from the stunning natural setting—which is extremely indicative of Ross’s course design style. Guests can also visit Lake George, dine at any of The Sagamore’s eight on-site restaurants, or get pampered at the Lake George Spa.