Driving the ball in the fairway is a great thing. So is driving your automobile short distances to play golf.
As global travel is limited in these uncertain times, staying closer to home makes lots of sense now. Domestic air travel is only gradually progressing back to normalcy, so presently golf trips within driving distance are just more practical for many golfers.
That said, we’ve compiled a list of popular U.S. golf regions that are within driving distance to key urban centers:
East Coast South – Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina
West Coast South – California
West Coast North – Oregon and Washington
South West – Texas
North East Coast – New York, Washington D.C, Boston, Atlantic City
North Central – Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan
This is the first in a series of posts this summer detailing drive-to courses and resorts by region.
From the sandhills of North Carolina to the oceanside setting in South Carolina and palm studded layouts in Florida, this region has courses for every golfer’s wants and needs. Best of all, you can tee up year-round and the menu of resorts and courses is long and varied. While this region is dotted with bucket listers like The No. 2 Course at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina and Blue Monster at Trump National Doral in Florida, there are also numerous other celebrated layouts like Copperhead at Innisbrook and Red, Blue and Black courses at Streamsong Resort in Florida and Great Waters at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Georgia.
Distance From Atlanta, GA:
Distance From Charlotte, NC:
Distance From Memphis:
Distance From Miami:
Distance From Orlando:
California is calling! After you make an obligatory pilgrimage to the Monterey Peninsula to play Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass and Links at Spanish Bay, there’s so many other places to tee it high and watch it fly. The golf rich San Diego area has an impressive golf menu of more than 90 courses highlighted by Torrey Pines, La Costa Resort and Rancho Bernardo Inn to name a few. In Palm Springs, a certifiable golf mecca, there are over 100 courses with headliners like Desert Willow Golf Resort, Indian Wells Golf Club and PGA West.
From San Francisco, CA:
From Los Angeles, CA:
From Las Vegas, NV:
From Reno, NV:
Stunning coastline golf courses, beautiful tree-lined layouts with towering pines and lush green turf are just a few of the enticements for golfers to this region. The unofficial capital of golf in the northwest U.S.A. is Bandon Dunes Golf Resort which has five phenomenal 18-hole golf courses hugging the magnificent southern Oregon coast and provides golfers with links style experiences similar to those found in Scotland and Ireland. A don’t miss play is Bandon Dunes’ newest course, Sheep Ranch, a recently debuted Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw design that has 9 coastline greens and ocean views on all 18 holes. Heading the line-up of bucket listers in the region are Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington, Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Oregon and Pronghorn Golf Club in Bend Oregon.
From Portland, OR:
From Seattle, WA:
From Spokane, WA:
Some of golf’s most influential golfers like Ben Hogan, Ben Crenshaw and Lee Trevino hail from Texas and the state has an impressive golf legacy. Cities like Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio are peppered with excellent golf courses and resorts. Heading the list of golf vacation options are resorts like Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Los Colinas in Dallas, Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio, The Woodlands Resort near Houston and Omni Barton Creek Resort in Dallas.
Distance from Dallas, TX:
Distance from Austin, TX:
Distance from San Antonio, TX:
Distance from Houston, TX:
Encompassing cities like Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C., this region of the U.S. offers numerous drive golf vacation possibilities. Other areas that draw lots of driving vacationing golfers include Atlantic City, New Jersey, Long Island, New York, the Poconos in Pennsylvania and Connecticut’s casino district. Arguably, the region’s most popular pubic access course is Bethpage State Park, where the bucket-list Black Course is located on Long Island. While on the island, don’t miss playing Montauk Downs, a fantastic muni. For those who enjoy casino gaming to accent their golf vacation, the options are numerous headed by Turning Stone Resort in New York, Atlantic City Country Club in Atlantic City and Mohegan Sun Golf Club in Connecticut.
Distance from New York City, NY:
Distance from Boston, MA:
Distance from Washington, DC:
Distance from Atlantic City:
Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin dominates the golf scene this year in this region as site of the 2020 Ryder Cup matches in September. The Destination Kohler complex features four excellent golf courses and a world-renowned spa. Other great places to play in Wisconsin are Erin Hills Golf Resort and Sand Valley Golf Club. In Michigan, vacationing golfers flock to resorts like Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs, Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City, The Lodge at Arcadia Bluffs and Treetops Resort in Gaylord. In Illinois, top places to tee up, include Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa in Galena and Oak Brook Hills Resort and Conference Center in Chicago.
Distance from Chicago, IL:
Distance from Milwaukee, WI:
Distance from Minneapolis, MN:
Photos courtesy of: Omni Barton Creek Resort, Destination Kohler, Bandon Dunes Resort, Kiawah Island Resort
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