Golf is becoming more and more accessible the world over. As more and more public courses appear money is no longer a barrier to the masses who may not have been able to play so conveniently 15 years ago. There are however still those marquee names in the game that are a bit special. Places and courses that would be atop many a golfers list of dream golf holiday destinations. So here we go…ten of the most expensive golf holidays you can go on today…if it wasn’t for the small matter of money!
Needless to say such it does cost a bob or two to gain entry to golfing heaven…at least the below prices include flights!
It is difficult to do justice to Pebble Beach with words alone, but suffice to say, it is the number one ranked worldwide golf course that is available to the golfing masses. Pebble has hosted no less than five US Opens including the 2000 tournament when Tiger Woods went about producing the most dominant display in golfing history; it has also hosted numerous PGA Tour events and revered throughout the golfing world for its incredible layout and awe-inspiring location.
5 Nights at the Inn at Spanish Bay + 1 round of golf at Pebble Beach + Spyglass Hill + The Links at Spanish Bay – £2995
Augusta National would rightly be every golfer’s dream golf course to play. Sadly this is impossible for 99.99% of us so watching the action at the Masters will have to do! The Masters is the highlight of the golfing calendar for golf fans the world over. This us down to the fact that no other golf course can produce the same levels of excitement as Augusta. This spell binding layout in the heart of the Deep South has perfect balance between rewarding good shots and punishing the bad ones. Every year the final round at the Masters features collapses and stunning birdie runs and it is arguably the most dynamic tournament on the golfing calendar.
Championship Package – 5 Nights at the Sheraton Augusta + Masters tickets for all tournament play + hospitality + Masters chair for prime viewing location – £5795
Cape Kidnappers is one of the only golf courses in the world that can rival Pebble Beach as far as a dramatic location goes and playing here provides the golfer with the most amazing sense of golfing isolation. To give an insight into the seclusion and privacy at the Cape, the drive from the gates to the clubhouse takes a full twenty minutes! With this one you have to see it to believe it and if you are going to travel all the way to New Zealand you may as well make it worth your while!
7 Nights + 2 rounds of golf at Cape Kidnappers + 2 rounds of golf at Kauri Cliffs – £5749
For the first ten years of its existence from 1994, the Mission Hills Golf Resort opened a new golf course at an astonishing average of one per year. Every course at Mission Hills has been designed by a golfing great and the tenth layout was another stunning creation by the great Greg Norman; arguably the finest of them all. Mission Hills may just be the most well equipped golf resort on the planet and its location in China lends itself to fantastic weather conditions for golf.
6 Nights + unlimited golf – £2225
The Half Moon Resort was always a special place but recent years have seen vast improvements on what was already there. Now this stunning resort is rated as one of the very best, not just in the Caribbean, but in the world.
The course at Half Moon was designed by Robert Trent Jones Junior so it is no surprise that it is a world class layout. Vast rolling greens and strategic bunkering are the main features of this beautiful course which on the whole is quite flat but is a real delight to play. Not only do golfers have access to the stunning Half Moon Course but other tropical delights are within easy reach and come as part of the overall package when embarking on a golf holiday to this Caribbean paradise.
Golfers looking to iron out any creases in their swing are well catered for by the David Leadbetter Golf Academy.
7 Nights + unlimited golf at Half Moon, Rose Hall Resort or White Witch Resort – £2435
The Four Seasons Resort Provence boasts one of the most picturesque locations in the whole of Europe and it is also in the enviable position of being home to two stunning championship golf courses.
The Le Riou Course is the perfect resort course that will provide an enjoyable and challenging test of golf for golfers of all abilities. Maintained in impeccable condition all year round and privy to some awe-inspiring views, this course is a real delight to play and will set better players up nicely for a more challenging round on the resort’s second course.
The Le Chateau Course was designed by renowned architect Dave Thomas who was given carte blanche and an impressive budget to complete this Provencal gem. Carved around some spectacular water hazards and bordered by mature woodland, Le Chateau has a fantastic variety of holes that require great creativity and guile, while the perfectly manicured greens will leave you no excuses for failing to convert birdie chances.
Any stay in Provence is a special experience thanks to the fine food and world class wines of the region but when you combine that with the first class luxury accommodation on offer at the Four Seasons Resort it becomes a truly magical experience. The idyllic surroundings should inspire your complete relaxation, while the attractions of the Riviera are but a short drive away, making this exclusive golf holiday resort one of the most desirable in Europe.
4 Nights bed and breakfast + 2 rounds – £2079
The Legends Golf & safari Resort is arguably the most exciting golf development in recent history; a unique concept that will allow golfers to enjoy an experience unlike any other.
The Legends Signature golf course is rather unique in the sense that each of the 18 holes has been designed by a leading tour professional including the likes of Retief Goosen, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia. The African masterpiece is a true championship test that can reach an astonishing 8,000 yards; making it the longest course on the continent. Your round on the Legends Course is topped off by the most exciting and unusual golfing experience to be found anywhere on the planet.
Intrepid golfers are flown by helicopter to the tee of the Xtreme 19th hole. This astonishing par 3 measures 361 metres and the green is some 430 metres below the levels of the tee. Players launch their balls towards the giant green which has been shaped like the continent of Africa. If this exhilarating experience isn’t enough to get the pulse racing then there is always the small matter of the $1,000,000 prize for a hole in one!
Guests visiting the amazing Legend Resort will have the choice of a number of accommodation options which are located throughout the sprawling nature reserve. Accommodations include the Kingfisher Lodge, Hanglip Mountain Lodge and the Lakeside, Eagle’s Nest and Ravenside Lodges.
A highlight of any visit to the Legend Resort will be a safari drive, a unique guided opportunity to see nature’s finest up close and personal, including the Big Five.
7 Nights + 8 rounds of golf + 2 games drives + Xtreme 19th experience – £2845
The Lemuria Golf Course at Praslin is connected to the stunning Constance resort, and is available daily to hotel guests. The Seychelles present a landscape as intoxicating as any other in world golf, which is why the amazing islands are held in such high esteem by travellers and golfers the world over.
Carved through delightful groves of tropical woodland, Lemuria winds its way along the picture perfect coastline, offering visiting golfers moments of golfing perfection. Laid out in a positively amazing setting, the Lemuria resort’s golf course is the epitome of golf in the Seychelles. Highlights include the 15th par 3 hole which is among the very best short holes in world golf.
Golfers visiting Lemuria will be put up in sumptuous, world class suites that will ensure a truly magical stay at this island paradise. A lavish Spa and top class restaurants are just some of the highlights.
7 Nights + 7 rounds of golf – £2485
With eight top class golf courses and The Pinehurst Golf Academy on site, there is little surprise that this North Carolina gem is considered to be one of the world’s finest golf resorts. All eight of the golf courses at Pinehurst are of the highest standard which comes as no surprise considering the list of designers includes the likes of Tom Fazio, Donald Ross and Rees Jones.
Pinehurst Number 2 is considered the premier course on the resort and it recently celebrated it centenary. Number 2 is regarded as one of the best golf courses in the world and this is reflected by the fact that it has hosted more championships than any other course in the USA. Play here and you will be following in the footsteps of some of golf’s greats. The 7,335 yard layout is championship golf in its purest form.
The superb golf on offer at Pinehurst is perfectly supplemented by the Carolina Hotel which evokes all the elegance and grandeur of the South at the turn of the century. The building itself is a National Historic Landmark, and with its stately columns, perfect white façade and stunning entrance, there are few more beautiful bases for a golfing pilgrimage.
5 Nights bed and breakfast + 5 rounds of golf – £1295
Ritz Carlton Reynolds Plantation
The outstanding Reynolds Plantation is one of Georgian golf’s most prestigious and illustrious names, predominantly thanks to its collection of five world class championship golf courses. Each course has been designed by famous names in the game including the likes of Tom Fazio and the legendary Jack Nicklaus. Golfers can choose from The Oconee, The National, Plantation, Reynolds Landing and the Great Waters course. It doesn’t matter which course you choose to play as they are all special and truly breathtaking golfing experiences.
The Ritz Carlton Lodge is one of the best hotels in the world and is the perfect support act to the stunning array of golf on offer at the Reynolds Plantation. Perched on the banks of the delightful Lake Oconee, the resort is a picture-perfect retreat that has much to offer golfers and non-golfers, all of which is supported by surroundings of the utmost luxury.
7 Nights + 5 rounds of golf – £2199
For information on UK golf breaks and European golf holidays please visit www.yourgolftravel.com or call 0800 043 6644.
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