Best 3 Golf Courses in the USA to Travel with Friends ⛳
Clifftop drama in California, classic Sandhills in North Carolina, and wild links golf on the Oregon coast—three very different trips, all unforgettable.
The USA has some of the greatest golf courses on the planet. But great golf and a great group trip aren't always the same thing. The best destination for a friends' golf getaway needs more than a world-class layout—it needs accessible tee times, good accommodation options for groups, nearby food and drink, and the kind of setting that makes the whole trip feel worth the journey.
These three courses deliver on every front. Whether your group wants a luxury bucket-list experience, a classic American championship venue, or a remote links escape where golf is literally the only reason to be there—this is where to go.
At a Glance
#1 Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach, California – the most spectacular setting in American golf
#2 Pinehurst No. 2
Pinehurst, North Carolina – home of the US Open, the purest test of golf in America
#3 Bandon Dunes
Bandon, Oregon – five links courses on the Pacific coast, built entirely for golf trips
#1 — Pebble Beach Golf Links, California 🌊
Best for: The ultimate bucket-list round with jaw-dropping Pacific views
📍 The Course
Pebble Beach Golf Links is one of the most recognisable courses in the world. Carved into the cliffs of the Monterey Peninsula, eight of the eighteen holes hug the Pacific Ocean. The famous par-3 7th—a short iron to a green perched on a cliff—and the closing stretch from 16 to 18 along the water are among the most iconic sequences in golf. Host of six US Opens and the annual AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
- Par: 72 | Course Rating: 75.5
- Green fees: ~$625 per person (includes forecaddie)
- Tee times: Bookable online; easier to get for resort guests—staying on property gives priority
- Best season: April–October; June fog is possible but manageable
🏨 Where to Stay
- The Lodge at Pebble Beach: Right on the 18th green; $800–1,500/night per room—expensive but the definitive Pebble experience
- The Inn at Spanish Bay: Same Pebble Beach Resorts property, slightly more affordable; home of Spyglass Hill and Links at Spanish Bay
- Carmel-by-the-Sea: 5 minutes away; excellent boutique hotels, B&Bs, and vacation rentals at a fraction of resort prices
- Monterey: 15 minutes away; good mid-range hotels; great food scene and Cannery Row
✈️ Getting There
- Fly into San Jose (SJC) or San Francisco (SFO) — both ~2 hour drive to Pebble Beach
- Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) is 15 min away but has limited routes
- Car hire is essential; Highway 1 along the coast is one of the world's great drives—build it into the itinerary
- Groups often combine Pebble Beach with Spyglass Hill and Poppy Hills for a 3-round Monterey Peninsula trip
💡 Group Tip: Pebble Beach is expensive but your group doesn't have to play it every day. Play Pebble once as the headline round, and fill the other days with Pacific Grove Golf Links (a beautiful municipal course right on the ocean for ~$60), Spyglass Hill (~$350), or Monterey Peninsula Country Club if you can get access. This makes the trip affordable while Pebble remains the centrepiece.
Plan Your Golf Trip in 5 Minutes
#2 — Pinehurst No. 2, North Carolina 🌲
Best for: Classic American golf history and a full golf resort experience
📍 The Course
Pinehurst No. 2 is the most storied course in American golf. Designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1907, it has hosted more major golf championships than any other course in the USA—five US Opens, two US Amateurs, and the 2024 US Open and US Women's Open in the same week. The Donald Ross design rewards precise ball-striking; the crowned greens with their famous runoffs punish anything less than perfect approach play.
- Par: 70 | Course Rating: 76.5
- Green fees: ~$400–$600 per person (Pinehurst Resort guests get priority)
- Courses available: Pinehurst Resort has 10 courses—No. 2 is the flagship; Nos. 4, 8, and 9 are also excellent
- Best season: March–May and September–November (avoid humid July–August)
🏨 Where to Stay
- The Carolina Hotel (Pinehurst Resort): The grand resort hotel on property; staying here gives priority tee times on No. 2; $300–600/night per room
- The Holly Inn: Smaller, more intimate resort property; charming and slightly more affordable
- Village of Pinehurst rentals: Vacation homes and cottages in the village; excellent for groups wanting more space and kitchen facilities
✈️ Getting There
- Fly into Raleigh-Durham (RDU) — 1.5 hours to Pinehurst by car
- Charlotte Douglas (CLT) — 1.5 hours west; good for groups flying in from different cities
- Fayetteville Regional (FAY) is 45 min away but limited routes
- Car hire essential; the Pinehurst area has no useful public transport
💡 Group Tip: Pinehurst is uniquely set up for multi-day golf trips. With 10 courses on site, your group never has to leave the resort. Plan 3–4 days and rotate through No. 2, No. 4, and No. 8 (designed by Tom Fazio, consistently ranked among the best in the US). The resort atmosphere—porch sitting, great restaurants, a real golf village—makes evenings as enjoyable as the rounds.
#3 — Bandon Dunes, Oregon 🌿
Best for: The best pure golf destination in America—built for exactly this kind of trip
📍 The Courses
Bandon Dunes on the Oregon coast is the most compelling argument for why walking links golf belongs in America too. Mike Keiser built the resort specifically as a destination for serious golfers who want to walk—no carts on most courses, caddies encouraged. There are now five distinct courses spread along the Pacific cliffs, each genuinely world-class.
- Bandon Dunes: The original; classic links above Pacific bluffs
- Pacific Dunes: Tom Doak design; consistently ranked in the US top 5
- Bandon Trails: Tom Doak & Jim Urbina; different terrain—more forest and meadow
- Old Macdonald: Replica of classic early-20th-century design concepts; fascinating and fun
- Sheep Ranch: The newest and most dramatic—clifftop holes directly above the Pacific
- Green fees: $120–$360 per round depending on course and season
🏨 Where to Stay
- Bandon Dunes Resort accommodation: The resort has rooms, suites, and cottages on site—staying here is required for peak-season tee times and simplifies everything
- The Lily Pond House & Chrome Lake House: Private houses within the resort, great for groups who want to be together; sleeps 8–12
- Bandon town: 5 miles away; small coastal town with B&Bs and rental options if resort is full
✈️ Getting There
- North Bend/Coos Bay Airport (OTH) is 30 min away; served by SkyWest/United via San Francisco and Denver
- Portland (PDX) or Eugene (EUG) — 4–5 hours by car; popular for groups who make the drive a road trip
- The resort runs a complimentary shuttle from North Bend Airport—no car rental needed once there
- Bandon is remote by design; this is part of the experience
💡 Group Tip: Bandon Dunes is designed for exactly the kind of trip you're planning. Unlike Pebble Beach or Pinehurst, it has almost no non-golf distractions—there's no city nearby, no casino, no spa day. This is a feature, not a bug. Book 4–5 days, play a different course each day, walk every round with a caddie, and eat dinner together in the resort restaurant every night. It's the closest thing in America to a Scottish golf trip.
Budgeting: What Will It Cost?
Below is a rough 4-day per-person estimate for each destination:
Flights
Return domestic (book 4–8 weeks ahead)
$150 – $600
Accommodation
3–4 nights (per person, shared or resort)
$200 – $800
Green fees
2–3 rounds at the featured courses
$200 – $1,200
Car hire
Shared between 4–6 people, 4 days (not needed at Bandon)
$30 – $100
Food & drinks
Mix of resort dining and local restaurants
$150 – $450
Caddies & extras
Caddie fee + tip; optional golf cart at Pinehurst
$80 – $250
Estimated Total
Per person, 4-day golf trip
$810 – $3,400
💡 Pro Tip: Bandon Dunes is the best value on this list despite feeling like a luxury trip—green fees are lower than Pebble Beach and the all-in resort experience means fewer surprise costs. Pebble Beach is the priciest per round but splitting a house in Carmel helps a lot. Pinehurst sits in the middle and is the most accessible by flight from most US cities.
How to Organise the Trip
📅 Book Tee Times Before Flights
At Pebble Beach and Pinehurst, staying on the resort property gives you priority tee-time access. Book your accommodation first, which unlocks tee-time reservations. At Bandon Dunes, tee times open 60 days in advance for resort guests—set a reminder and book immediately when they open.
🏌️ Walk the Rounds
Carts are available at most courses but walking with a caddie is the superior experience at all three destinations on this list—especially at Bandon (where carts are banned on most courses) and Pebble (where the forecaddie is included in the green fee). Walking keeps you in the game longer, and a good caddie adds genuine value on courses with blind shots and unfamiliar breaks.
💰 Track Shared Costs
Golf trips have a lot of shared expenses—tee time deposits, shared Ubers from the airport, group dinners, caddie splits. Use FlowTrip to log everything and settle up cleanly at the end. No one wants to be chasing Venmo requests after the best golf trip of their lives.
USA Golf Trip Packing List
- 🏌️Clubs (or arrange rental) — All three resorts offer club rental; check airline golf bag fees first
- 🧥Windproof layer — Essential at Bandon Dunes and Pebble Beach; Pacific coast wind is real
- 🧴Sunscreen — Especially at Pebble Beach—long exposed rounds in California sun
- 👟Waterproof golf shoes — Morning dew and Oregon coast conditions at Bandon require it
- 🎽Smart-casual dinner wear — Resort restaurants have dress codes; collared shirts required everywhere
- 📱FlowTrip app — Shared itinerary, group expenses, and tee-time schedule in one place
⚠️ Soft Spikes Required: All three courses require soft spike golf shoes—metal spikes will get you turned away at the first tee. Check your shoes before you leave home. Also note: Bandon Dunes is remote enough that if you forget anything significant, the nearest sporting goods store is over an hour away.
Planning with Friends? Try FlowTrip App 🚀
Planning a US golf trip for a group means aligning schedules across different cities, booking resort accommodation before tee times open, sorting car hire, tracking green fee deposits, and making sure every shared dinner and caddie tip gets split fairly.
FlowTrip keeps your golf crew organised from the first tee time booking to the last round of drinks. Build a shared itinerary, split every expense, and make sure no one misses their 7 AM slot.
- 🗺️Clean Itinerary and Map overview - everyone knows where to be, no one gets lost in the chat
- 📸Build your trip by uploading Screenshots - no typing needed, just drop your restaurant reservation
- 🤖AI Trip Idea Check - validates your trip based on your preferences, destination and season
- ✨AI Recommendations - restaurants, hotels, coffee spots, activities based on your preferences
- 🗳️Polls and voting - just suggest an activity and decide together
- 💬Built-in chat - keep all trip conversations in one place
- 💰Expense tracker - split costs and track spending
- 🎒AI Packing list - never forget essentials, AI will help you to take care of it
- ☀️Weather Forecast - You will know if the weather changes