The Best Golf Vacation Destinations Around the World and Top Courses

Jump straight to:       California  |  Florida  |  Alabama  |  Sctoland  |  Ireland  |  Japan

It’s time to take that long-awaited golf vacation. If you’re looking to swing the clubs and visit a world-class destination on your golfing trip, there’s no shortage of amazing destinations to consider. To get you started we outline some of the best golf destinations and top courses to consider.

Plus, we can help you travel smarter^tm – our Preferred and Premium plans come with coverage for your golf clubs in addition to other great features that help protect your golf vacation. Learn more

California

Golf in California conjures up images of lone cypress trees by rocky Pacific shores, desert courses with one-acre sand traps, and Clint Eastwood and Jack Nicklaus taking their turns on sun-splashed, undulating greens.

California courses just have that allure – and great name recognition. Ask a non-golfer to name a golf course and chances are they’ll name Pebble Beach. Ask a golfer if they recognize the names Torrey Pines and Olympic, and they probably will.

These courses are iconic for good reason, but they’re certainly not all there is to golf in California. In addition to the big names with the big price tags, California offers bargain-priced gems like the Pacific Grove Links, Goat Hill Park, and Coronado.

California golf courses offer experiences as varied as the countryside – and in California, the variety is endless.

Also read: 7 Great Destinations for Your Next California Vacation

Florida

Florida’s best golf courses are household names like Seminole, Doral, and TPC Sawgrass, but not all the top courses are quite as world-famous. There’s plenty of challenging golf to be had at the Streamsong courses, as well as Calusa Pines and Mountain Lake.

For a more affordable golfing experience with all the challenge you can handle, it’s hard to beat World Woods in Brooksville. And if you’re looking to squeeze in a quick round while the family is at Disney World, your best bet is the nine-hole Winter Park course in Orlando.

Also read: 8 Great Florida Vacation Destinations

Alabama

The famed designer Robert Trent Jones put his imprimatur on a stretch of great courses that run from Auburn to Birmingham, creating what’s known as the Alabama Golf Trail.

If you’re a golfer who loves a good road trip, these hilly, challenging courses are hard to beat – but there’s more to golf in Alabama than the Trail courses.

If you like your fairways freeway-wide, set your GPS for Pursell Farms in Sylacauga, south of Birmingham. This course was created by a fertilizer company to show how well its products grow grass, and you can call the experiment a success. For those who evaluate their golf courses on the quality of the grass, Pursell Farms is at the top.

Concierge Services that come with our plans can help you reserve tee times

Scotland

When you think of international golf destinations, Scotland immediately comes to mind. And not only does Scotland come to mind, but a generic impression of a Scottish course: rugged and windblown, with narrow fairways, rough the consistency of a blackberry thicket, rocks and water close by, mist coming in horizontal the entire time, and greens the size of a potholder.

You wouldn’t necessarily be wrong, but there’s more to Scottish golf than classic links-style courses like the Old Course at St. Andrews. In fact, many golfers would prefer a round at Royal Dornoch, in Scotland’s far north, while others might opt for Carnoustie or Royal Aberdeen.

One thing’s for certain: With 550 golf courses in a country the size of South Carolina, there’s plenty of opportunity to find your own signature course in the land that claims golf as its own.

Ireland

A lot of what applies to Scotland applies to Ireland. Perhaps the courses are a touch greener and less wild, but the rolling course by the sea is still the archetype.

Because they share so many superficial resemblances, it’s hard to choose among Ireland’s top courses. Portmarnock, Old Ballybunion, Tralee, Royal County Down, and Royal Portrush all have their supporters.

Regardless of the courses you choose to play, there’s always the promise of a 19^th hole with newfound friends to keep you going even when the putts won’t drop and the ball won’t find the fairway.

Also read: Travel Tips for Ireland

Japan

Japan is home to more than 2,200 golf courses – as many as the U.K. and Ireland combined – with the standouts being the Yokohama Country Club, the Fuji Course at Kawana (which, yes, has incredible views of Mt. Fuji), and the Abiko Country Club near Tokyo.

Many Japanese golf clubs have idiosyncrasies like two greens per hole and communal post-round spas, but it’s all part of the Japanese golf experience, which means it’s something to be savored.

Also read: Japan Travel Tips—Especially if it's Your First Time Visiting

It’s smart to insure your golf trip and your equipment, and Generali has travel protection plans designed just for that. Here’s how:

Golf Club Coverage: Don't let lost, stolen or damaged equipment ruin your golf vacation. Our Preferred and Premium plans include Sporting Equipment coverage for your golf clubs. If they’re delayed for a certain period of time, the Sporting Equipment Delay coverage can even cover your rental costs so you can make your tee time.

Medical Emergencies:  Did you know every year nearly 40,000 golfers end up in emergency rooms after being injured while playing?¹ Our plans include 24-Hour Emergency Assistance Services, for immediate aid accessible from anywhere in the world, as well as Medical and Dental coverage.

Trip Cancellation: Our plans cover expenses and losses for many reasons that could cause you to cancel your travel plans. If you’ve scheduled pre-paid, non-refundable tee times, those costs can be reimbursed with the rest of your trip costs if you cancel your trip for a covered reason.

Get a quote for travel insurance and enjoy your golf trip!

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