You want some variety in golf resort recommendations? Here’s some variety in golf resort recommendations. This year, the GOLF staff visited a number of golf-themed spots, and below are six of our favorites.
Our 6 favorite golf resorts we visited in 2025
Alan Bastable, executive editor (@alan_bastable): I can’t comment on the accommodations and other accoutrements at Gold Canyon Resort in Scottsdale (have never stayed there!), but I can offer a glowing review of one of its two golf courses: Dinosaur Mountain, which I played for the third time in February. My neighborhood pals and I take an annual golf trip to Scottsdale, and Dino Mountain has become one of our must-plays. It’s like something out of Golden Tee, in the best way possible: Many of the tee boxes are perched on the cliffs of the mountain itself, and many of the holes are set against the backdrop of the volcanic range known as the Superstition Mountains. It’s stunning and fun and playable — and, yes, we’re going back this February.
Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow):Horseshoe Bay Resort, about an hour west of Austin, Texas. I snuck out of Minnesota for a warm-weather getaway during our spring break, and Horseshoe Bay turned out to be an awesome option. Laid-back but good golf. Pools galore for kids. Barbecue for days. Even spectacular mini golf. And we never had to leave the property.
Jessica Marksbury, senior editor (@Jess_Marksbury): The southern California desert is one of my favorite escapes, especially during October’s shoulder season, when the weather is absolutely perfect and crowds are low. This year, the fam visited the Omni Rancho Las Palmas for a reunion with one of my high school friends and her family. The resort is sprawling, and the accommodations were lovely. We had a gorgeous balcony view of the golf course, Sadly, I did not play, but I love all California desert golf so I’m sure the course is great. What I can offer a stellar review on, though, is the family-friendly pool area, which was absolutely fantastic. Two water slides, a lazy river and a sandy “beach” kept the kids occupied for two straight days. There’s plenty of opportunity for alfresco dining at the resort’s restaurants, and a fun menu of crafts and activities for the kids, too. We’ve been to a lot of resorts in SoCal over the years, but this one became a fast favorite.
Nick Piastowski, senior editor (@nickpia): I sadly didn’t visit a resort this year — but I think I can make a contribution here. For the past four years, a group of friends and I have driven out to the Green Lake, Wis., area — and turned it into our own golf resort. We rent an Airbnb. We stock up on supplies at the Hy-Vee in Ripon. We play golf at the two gems on the Lawsonia property (Links and Woodlands) in Green Lake — and we also play at Tuscumbia in Green Lake and Mascoutin in Berlin. The trip is inexpensive. We do things on our own schedule. The golf is great. Yeah, we’re already planning our 2026 visit!
Josh Sens, senior writer (@JoshSens): I finally made it back to Gamble Sands this year, more than a decade after it opened. On my first trip, the place was so new that there was just the course and a pro shop. Nothing in the way of amenities. In the time since, they’ve added a terrific par-3 course and, more recently, a sibling 18, Scarecrow, along with a great restaurant, a fun bar and hangout room and sweet accommodations that back up to a really fun putting course. In other words, the property has evolved from a curiosity to a full-fledged destination, in a setting overlooking a river valley that is unlike anything I’ve seen in American golf.
Sean Zak, senior writer (@Sean_Zak): I had the pleasure of visiting Omni La Costa recently and was pretty enamored with the place. The only thing I wish I had was a tennis partner, because the non-golf offerings are quite good. Lit tennis courts, all kinds of pickleball areas, a massive, full gym — the campus is massive but there’s a ton there … not to mention the course where the NCAA D1 Golf Championships are held.
