Yes, it’s only early August, but it’s not too early to begin thinking about some Fall/Winter golf trips to some of the world’s great resorts, as well as “bucketlist’’ destinations.
Here are few of my top choices:
The Jewel at Grand Hotel (Mackinac Island, MI)
Located on Northern Michigan’s Mackinac Island, Grand Hotel is home to one of the most unique and historic golf courses in the United States. The Jewel is the only course in the country with horse-drawn carriage rides between nines allowing for a truly Grand golf experience. As a Golden Age designed course, the front nine is located across from the iconic hotel and includes the stand-out par-3 7th hole. Combining difficulty with breathtaking views of the Straits of Mackinac, this hole also marks as a tribute to the course’s architect, Jerry Mathews. The back nine is a mile-and-a-half, leisurely 15-minute carriage ride to the interior of the Island, which is unseen by many visitors.
Hualālai Golf Course at Hualālai Resort (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii)
Hualālai is home to two incomparable, award-winning golf courses that elevate the property to the status of one of the most elite golf resorts in the world. The Hualālai Golf Course is the first Jack Nicklaus Signature design on Hawaii Island and home to the prestigious, annual PGA Tour Championships “Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualālai”. The par-72 layout weaves through the Big Island’s natural lava fields of Ka‘ūpūlehu, taking full advantage of spectacular ocean views and dramatic shoreline vistas. The par-3 17th hole is known to be short yet difficult, playing towards the ocean, players are met with a grand view of the Pacific Ocean just beyond the putting green and challenge—and visual appeal—of being surrounded by well-placed sand bunkers and naturally formed lava rocks.
Pacifico Golf Course at Punta Mita (Riviera, Nayarit, MX)
Tale of the Whale
Punta Mita has a pair of world-class golf courses designed by Nicklaus. The Pacifico Golf Course is best known for its famous island green, “The Tail of the Whale,” the world’s only natural island green. Playable only at low tide, the green on this extra par-3 hole is located 194 yards from the pacific shoreline. Outside of the famed hole, Pacifico plays up to 7,000 plus yards with amazing views of the Pacific Ocean. The Bahia Course showcases stunning views and strategically placed bunkers, providing an exciting and tactical golfing experience.
Tom Weiskopf 18-hole Championship Golf Course at Kukui’ula (South Shore of Kauai)
The late Tom Weiskopf designed this course at Kukui’ula that offers dramatic ocean views. Kukui‘ula isn’t just an idyllic white-sand cove, the land holds a historical significance as an early proto-lighthouse: an open-air, lava-rock structure was used exclusively for building signal fires, high atop a scenic bluff now located at the 12th hole. Golfers will either see marine life, such as dolphins and the occasional humpback whale, or coffee beans, kukui nuts and pineapples on each hole.
Panther National’s PANTHER9 (Palm Beach Gardens, FL)
Designed by Nicklaus and PGA Tour star Justin Thomas, PANTHER9 is a dynamic Par-3, nine-hole that is among the more challenging and beautiful “short course’’ in the country. It’s a perfect complement to the larger-than-life championship course – also created by Nicklaus and Thomas. The seventh hole, for example, mirrors infamous TPC Sawgrass hole 17 island, with a green surrounded by water. Holes vary in range from 90 to 150 yards, featuring an array of championship course approach shots.
El Camaleón (Mayakoba, Riviera Maya)
A Greg Norman-design, the course captures spectacular views in every direction and blends through the diverse ecosystems of Mayakoba, including tropical jungle, dense mangroves, freshwater canals, and pristine Riviera Maya oceanfront. When players reach the seventh hole, they will find a fairway cave nicknamed “the Devil’s Mouth,” a natural cenote that highlights the Riviera Maya’s natural beauty. The Devil’s Mouth encompasses nearly 600 square feet of fairway, approximately 320-330 yards from the tee box.
Tom Fazio Championship Course at Juniper Preserve (Bend, OR)
Juniper Preserve is home to an exclusive, one-of-a-kind course designed by Tom Fazio – his only Oregon design. With the Cascade Mountain range forming the Pacific Ring of Fire – a ring of mountains and volcanoes which horseshoe around the Pacific Ocean – Fazio used the fascinating, petrified landscape to create a dramatic signature golf course. The course blends the challenge of championship golf with the inherent aesthetics of the natural terrain. Rolling fairways and sculpted greens are punctuated by ancient lava rocks, stunning water features and dramatic juniper trees. It is also home to one of the more unique holes in the world: a par three, 8th hole that includes a 45-foot canyon and an exposed lava tube, which was discovered during construction.
David McLay-Kidd Championship Course at Loraloma | (Spicewood, TX)
The course seamlessly integrates into the rolling hills of Texas Hill Country, and its 15th hole gives players an opportunity to tee off over the only hole on the course with a manmade lake. Opening next year, Loraloma is slated to play 7,060 yards from the back tees, covering 120 acres and fitting seamlessly into the community. Its wide variety of strategically placed holes ranges from shot-making par-4s to risk-reward par-3s—engaging players of all skill levels. Striking visuals support each hole, with nearly half of the holes playing along the cliffside of the Pedernales River, and others sitting atop peaks delivering dramatic elevation changes with unobstructed vantage points overlooking the Texas Hill Country and Balcones Escarpment.
Rope Rider Golf Course at Suncadia (Cle Elum, WA)
Rope Rider Golf Course, a Jacobsen/Hardy Golf Course Design, is steeped in history all the way back to the 1800s with foundations and portals of mines No. 9 and 10 remaining on the course, and the towering Tipple Hill, a 120-foot pile of coal tailings, framing the tee shot of the long par-4 7th hole. Though Rope Rider challenges even the most experienced golfers with more than 7,300 yards from the tips, it also accommodates Washington State family golf vacations, with youth tees on every hole and shorter three and six-hole loops for quick sessions with the kids.
Los Caballeros at Rancho de los Caballeros (Wickenburg, AZ)|
The 16th Hole at Los Caballeros encompasses all the things that Rancho de los Caballeros is about – from great views of Vulture Mountain to demanding desert terrain. The tee shot is demanding, with desert down the left side and a large pond on the right side in the landing area. The 16th green also is in line with the ranch’s horse run, where the horses go right beside the green as they head out to pasture.
Photos Courtesy of C&R Public Relations