How to Choose a Golf Course for Vacation

The decision: Bandon Dunes or Myrtle Beach for a golf vacation?

If I were choosing between Oregon’s Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and the Myrtle Beach golf market in South Carolina for a vacation, I would not pretend they are interchangeable. Both can produce a very good golf trip, but they solve different problems.

Bandon Dunes is the premium choice for golfers who want a concentrated, links-heavy golf experience and are happy to make the trip about the golf. Myrtle Beach is the mid-range choice for a group that wants lots of course options, a lower-cost starting point than the premium resorts, and more flexibility if the trip is not four straight days of serious golf.

That is the choice. Not “which is better?” in a vacuum. It is whether you want a destination course experience or a flexible golf holiday.

Golfbreaks’ 2026 survey found that more than 79% of experienced golfers prioritise value for money, while roughly two-thirds put exceptional course quality near the top of the list. [2] That is a sensible starting point, but value is not simply the lowest green fee. It is the total of golf, lodging, transport, meals, tee-time convenience and whether every golfer in the group actually enjoys the itinerary.

Where the other destinations sit

Before getting into the head-to-head decision, it is worth putting the full field in order. These are not identical kinds of trip.

At the premium end, California’s Pebble Beach Golf Links suits the golfer seeking a world-renowned coastal course and dramatic views. Pebble Beach has hosted the U.S. Open multiple times, including 2019. [23] It is firmly a premium-tier trip, and it makes sense for someone who wants to build a vacation around one famous round rather than chase maximum rounds per dollar.

Scotland’s St. Andrews Old Course is another premium-tier choice, best for golfers who want historic links golf and the appeal of playing at the course widely known as the Home of Golf. The Old Course has hosted The Open Championship 29 times. [24] It suits a golfer who values history, walking and links conditions more than resort-style convenience.

Oregon’s Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is premium too, aimed at the player who wants a remote, authentic links-focused vacation. Its own resort material highlights multiple courses ranked among the leading courses in the United States. [25] It suits the serious golf group, particularly one willing to accept that remoteness is part of the proposition.

Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits is a premium pick for golfers who want a difficult, dramatic lakefront course. It hosted the 2021 Ryder Cup. [26] This is the choice for a player who wants a high-profile championship setting and does not mind a stern golf test.

North Carolina’s Pinehurst No. 2 is premium and suits golfers drawn to historic championship architecture, especially its turtleback greens. It has hosted the U.S. Open three times, most recently in 2014. [27] It is a strong fit for golfers who enjoy strategy and short-game pressure, but those greens are not a place to bring a shaky putter and expect a relaxing scorecard.

South Carolina’s Kiawah Island Golf Resort is premium, suited to golfers who want a seaside resort with multiple championship courses rather than a single marquee round. Its Ocean Course hosted the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2021. [28] It is the premium resort option for a group that wants several course choices without moving hotels.

The mid-range destinations offer a different kind of value. Arizona’s Scottsdale golf market suits players who want desert golf and a large menu of courses. The destination promotes more than 200 courses, including Troon North and Grayhawk. [29] It is a step down from the premium-resort category in positioning, though a Scottsdale trip can still become expensive depending on season, lodging and course selection.

Myrtle Beach is also mid-range, and is the budget-friendlier option within this field for golfers who want volume and choice. The area has more than 100 courses, including Caledonia Golf & Fish Club. [30] It suits mixed-ability groups and travellers who would rather have several solid rounds than put most of the budget into one famous tee time.

Las Vegas golf courses sit in the mid-range destination category and suit golfers who want golf combined with entertainment. The local visitor authority highlights courses including TPC Las Vegas and Shadow Creek. [31] It is the right match when some members of the party care as much about evenings off the course as they do about the golf.

Hilton Head Island’s golf courses are mid-range and suit golfers looking for a coastal base with a range of options. Harbour Town Golf Links, host of the RBC Heritage, is the headline course. [32] It makes sense for golfers seeking a coastal trip with a recognised tournament venue in the mix.

San Diego’s golf courses are mid-range, suited to players who want ocean-adjacent golf and mild-weather appeal. The area includes Torrey Pines, host of the 2021 U.S. Open. [33] It is a sensible choice for golfers who want a major-championship course without making every round a resort-golf occasion.

1. Course proposition and quality

Bandon Dunes wins this category if your group’s main objective is golf architecture, links turf and a cohesive resort experience. The appeal is not one isolated signature hole. It is that the resort has multiple highly regarded courses and a clear identity around links golf. [25] For a mid-handicapper, that usually means you should expect wind, firm ground and recovery shots that are different from the aerial game many American resort players know best.

Myrtle Beach wins on variety. With more than 100 courses in the area, it gives a group much more ability to tailor the schedule. [30] One day can be a more demanding, scenic round such as Caledonia, another can be a less intimidating public layout, and nobody has to agree that every round needs to be a bucket-list test.

This is also where golfers should stop treating a course’s reputation as a handicap index. A championship course is often more than 7,000 yards and typically par 72, while many standard public courses fall around 6,200 to 6,600 yards and par 70 to 72. [9] Those figures are useful filters, not guarantees of enjoyment. A 6,400-yard course with forced carries, soft turf and trouble around every green can play much harder than a longer, open layout.

Bandon is better for the golfer who wants a particular style of golf. Myrtle Beach is better for the group that wants choices.

2. Playability for a mid-handicap group

Neither destination should be booked solely from a course ranking or a photograph.

Before reserving tee times, look up the tees, course rating and slope for the exact course you plan to play. Under the USGA system, the median slope rating is 123, with the middle 80% of courses falling between 108 and 137. [10] A group containing 10-handicaps and 24-handicaps may have a much better day from different tees, even if everyone insists on playing “the regular ones.”

Bandon’s links format can reward a player willing to keep the ball low, use the ground and accept that a front pin may not be the sensible target. It can also punish the golfer who arrives expecting every approach to stop beside its pitch mark. That does not make it unsuitable for mid-handicaps. It means the trip needs the right expectations.

Myrtle Beach has the edge for mixed handicaps because the number of available courses makes it easier to select by yardage, rating and slope rather than forcing everyone through the same premium test. [30] It falls down only if the group treats its abundance as a reason not to research individual courses. One Myrtle Beach itinerary can be forgiving and fun. Another can be a sequence of difficult forced carries and slow rounds.

A number on a scorecard, like a launch-monitor number, belongs to the conditions and player that produced it. “Plays 6,500 yards” does not tell you how it will play with wind, soft fairways or a tee box set back for the day.

3. Value for money

Myrtle Beach is the better value choice for most groups, simply because it is positioned in the mid-range tier and has a deep inventory of courses. That does not mean every round is cheap, or that every package is good value. Green fees vary sharply by season, demand and course prestige, and Myrtle Beach pricing itself is presented as a wide range across more than 90 courses. [5]

Bandon Dunes is premium, and it should be approached as such. The value case is not “you can play it cheaply.” The value case is that a golfer who specifically wants multiple rounds of authentic links golf may prefer to spend more on a destination that delivers that experience consistently.

Most distance claims in golf equipment are within the noise unless the fit, ball, strike pattern and test conditions are controlled. Vacation-course value has a similar problem. A package that looks cheaper can become worse value after transport, hotel location, resort fees, meals and inconvenient tee times. Compare the complete trip, not just the first green-fee number you see.

4. Accessibility and logistics

This is where Myrtle Beach has the practical advantage for many travellers, though the exact answer depends on where your group is coming from and where it stays.

The Golfer Journeys Destination Index treats airport access and moving easily between courses as important parts of a destination’s appeal. [3] Bandon Dunes is explicitly a remote links destination. [25] That remoteness is a feature for golfers wanting to get away from ordinary resort travel, but it requires more planning. Do not book rounds first and work out flights, car hire and arrival times later.

Myrtle Beach’s density gives the organiser more room to recover from a cancelled flight, a weather delay or a golfer who does not want to drive an hour after a long round. But do the map work anyway. A destination with 100-plus courses can still involve poor routing if each day sends the group to a different corner of the region.

Late booking is one of the common mistakes identified in golf-trip planning advice, along with underestimating transport and failing to account for non-golf needs. [35] On a group trip, those are not minor details. They are the difference between four good rounds and four arguments in a rental car.

5. Group experience beyond the golf

The evidence here says lifestyle matters, but it does not tell us exactly how every kind of golfer weights it. Research cited by The Golf Business found that 83.6% of golf travellers consider gastronomy important, while nearly 79% want a destination that combines golf with wider lifestyle experiences. [34] Golfbreaks also reports that around three-quarters value social time over competition, and 79.2% show interest in larger group travel. [2]

Myrtle Beach is the safer choice for a socially mixed group because course volume gives you flexibility. You can build in an easier day, a rest afternoon or a non-golf activity without making the whole trip feel like a compromise.

Bandon is better for the group whose social activity is golf itself, dinner after golf, then doing it again. That can be exactly right. It is less suitable when half the party wants a broader destination holiday and the other half wants 36 holes a day.

6. Timing, booking and the final call

Season matters, but it should be treated as a planning variable rather than a marketing slogan. Regional guides consistently point golfers toward different peak periods depending on climate and location. [11] Check the likely weather, daylight, maintenance schedules and wind exposure before locking in a multi-round itinerary. A course’s reputation does not override a bad weather window.

My decision is straightforward.

Choose Bandon Dunes Golf Resort if your group is built around committed golfers who actively want a remote, premium links trip. It is the better fit for golfers chasing a distinctive golf experience, willing to plan the logistics carefully and happy for the course to be the centre of the vacation.

Choose Myrtle Beach golf courses if you have a mixed-handicap or mixed-priority group, want mid-range positioning rather than a premium-resort commitment, and value the ability to select from many courses. It is the more forgiving vacation choice, both in itinerary design and in budget control.

They are close only if every traveller in the group is equally golf-focused. If that is true, Bandon’s identity is hard to beat. If it is not, Myrtle Beach’s flexibility is probably the smarter booking.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose the best golf course for my vacation?

Choosing the best golf course depends on what you want from the trip. If you want a premium, links-focused golf experience with high-quality courses, resorts like Bandon Dunes or Pebble Beach are suitable. For more variety, flexibility, and budget-friendly options, destinations like Myrtle Beach or Scottsdale offer many courses and a range of difficulty levels. Consider factors like course quality, value for money, and whether the destination fits the style of golf and non-golf activities you want.

What factors should I consider when selecting a golf course for a golf trip?

Key factors include value for money, which encompasses green fees, lodging, transport, meals, and tee-time convenience. Course quality is also important, with about two-thirds of experienced golfers prioritizing it. Other considerations are the type of golf experience (links, resort, championship), accessibility, amenities, and whether the itinerary suits all players in the group. Social and lifestyle elements, such as gastronomy and cultural experiences, also influence satisfaction.

What are the differences between premium and mid-range golf vacation destinations?

Premium destinations like Bandon Dunes, Pebble Beach, and St. Andrews offer world-renowned courses, often with historic or championship pedigree, and focus on a concentrated golf experience. These trips tend to be more expensive and less flexible but appeal to serious golfers seeking quality and atmosphere. Mid-range destinations such as Myrtle Beach, Scottsdale, and Las Vegas provide a wider variety of courses, more affordable options, and greater flexibility for groups with mixed interests or skill levels.

Which golf destinations offer the best value for money?

Value for money is not just about low green fees but the overall package including lodging, transport, meals, and course quality. Myrtle Beach is noted as a budget-friendly option with over 100 courses, making it suitable for groups wanting multiple solid rounds without high costs. Scottsdale and Hilton Head also offer good mid-range value with many course choices and amenities. Premium resorts provide quality but at a higher price point, so value depends on the golfer’s priorities.

How can I pick a golf course suitable for mixed handicap groups on vacation?

Destinations with a large number of courses, like Myrtle Beach, allow groups to tailor their schedule to different skill levels, mixing more demanding and less intimidating rounds. Mid-range markets often provide this flexibility better than premium resorts, which focus on a more uniform, high-quality golf experience. Choosing a location with varied course options helps ensure all golfers enjoy their rounds regardless of handicap.

Sources

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