CEO’s Choice - Best Golf Trip Itineraries

As an avid golfer, I’m fortunate enough to have played golf in over 60 countries, which is why when I’m not working you’ll find me either playing with my kids or on the course.

Like you, I’m hooked. The highs and the lows of this sport we love, are only those which fellow golfers can understand. It’s not just (to quote another) ‘a good walk spoiled’.

Golf is our sport, our escape, gentle and sometimes not-so gentle exercise. Mental and physical. It’s time for peace, for checking in on ourselves. It’s time with friends, fathers, mothers, colleagues. And, aren’t we all the luckier for it?

This month, I’ll be returning to the fairways of favourites such as Royal Wimbledon Golf Club for their Captain’s Day, Anfi Tauro Golf in Gran Canaria and Old Course Vilamoura (which I invariably miss as soon as I leave). The new greens are truly exquisite. I’m also adventuring out to test out some new golfing jewels like East Lake Golf Course and Sage Valley in Georgia, USA, and the new Torre Course in Comporta, Lisbon designed by friend of Your Golf Travel, Sergio Gracia.

I’ll be sure to report back from the fairways. And, of course, if you see me out there please stop to say hello. Would love to buy you a pint or some kummell depending on your tipple.

See you out on the fairways.

Ross Marshall Co-Founder & Group CEO

The return of The Open to the mighty Royal Portrush's Dunluce Links for the first time since 2019 is big news for Northern Ireland and the Emerald Isle as a whole. In terms of my recommendation for my favourite breaks in Northern Ireland these include.

Staying at Bushmills and playing both courses at Royal Portrush and neighbouring Portstewart. Closer to Belfast, you can’t have a bad day at Royal Belfast. Last time I was there with some lads from Sunningdale I bumped into ex rugger / cricket player Liam Botham.

A trip to Newcastle to play the no.1 ranked course in the world Royal County Down accompanied by the challenging Ardglass is a fantastic tour.

Bethpage Black is your total paradox between being an accessible municipal golf course and the decidedly American, the harder it is the better the golf course!

In 2025 there is a Ryder Cup in America in the city that doesn’t sleep and that’s very exciting. If as a Your Golf Traveller you can somehow find a way to play Bethpage Black this year as well as attending the Ryder Cup, then you've won golf's version of the proverbial national lottery.

The Americans are still seething after a weak showing in Italy two years ago, and have turned to a younger, more emotional captain, Keegan Bradley, to get the players energized and ready to defend their home turf. I remember his partnership with Phil Mickelson at Medina in 2012 and them stirring up the crowd. That was one of the nosiest few days of golf in Chicago before “the postman “Ian Poulter silenced the crowds.

There are some amazing public and private courses around New York City and Long Island. There are accessible courses at Bally's Golf Links at Ferry Point, Pound Ridge and the municipal Eisenhower Park complex are all great fun. Bethpage Red is also one to add to the bucket list and must be played.

The allure of new fairways is a siren song for any golfer and this year the notes ringing out from Comporta are particularly sweet. The prospect of teeing it up on not one but two new championship layouts is enough to quicken the pulse of even the most seasoned traveller. First there's the Dunas Course a creation from the masterful David McLay-Kidd a name synonymous with intricate design. Then we have the brand new Torre Course shaped by Spanish legend and Ryder Cup hero Sergio Garcia. It's a pairing of courses and designers that promises an unforgettable Portuguese golfing adventure a true test of skill and a celebration of the game we adore.

I can already picture the Dunas Course its fairways weaving through the stunning coastal landscape that Comporta is famed for. McLay-Kidd's designs are known for their strategic challenges and their harmony with the natural environment so I anticipate a round that demands thoughtful shot-making and rewards creativity. Imagine the scent of pine and sea air the feeling of the sandy soil underfoot and the challenge of navigating those artfully placed bunkers and undulating greens. It’s more than just a round of golf it’s an immersion in nature and a dialogue with one of the game's great minds expressed through the contours of the land.

Then there's the excitement of tackling Sergio Garcia's Torre Course. Knowing Sergio's passion and his world-class ball-striking prowess I'm expecting a course that will be both a thrilling test and incredibly fun to play. It will be fascinating to see his design philosophy come to life to experience the lines he's crafted and the challenges he's laid down. This isn't just a golf trip it's a pilgrimage to a new haven of Portuguese golf designed by icons of the sport.

I love a trip to North California and I’ll just start listing what I have enjoyed visiting in the past.

This year the tournament calendar is packed in this area with the U.S. Amateur on the Gil Hanse-modified Lake Course at The Olympic Club, the Walker Cup at Cypress Point, the U.S. Women's Mid-Am at Monterey Peninsula Country Club and Silverado's North Course once again hosting a fall PGA Tour event in Napa. These are all exceptional destinations and worth a visit adding in some trips to some of the best vineyards in the USA.

From a public course perspective San Juan Oaks will celebrate its first full season back after a full modification effort. The Bayonet and Black Horse courses on the Monterey Peninsula have been upgraded in anticipation of building a new hotel, which is very exciting.

Don’t forget that Poppy Hills will reopen later this year following a full rebuild by Jay Blasi, who also did a fantastic job rejuvenating the par-3 Golden Gate Park in the heart of San Francisco. The Major championship course at TPC Harding Park will celebrate its 100th anniversary, one of the many famous Golden Age courses celebrating centennial years in 2025.

This is the final season of The Links at Spanish Bay before a major Hanse rebirth begins next year. A must play on any trip to Pebble Beach including Monterey Peninsula and Spyglass,

A pilgrimage to St Andrews the very home of golf is an experience every true golfer dreams of.

I would start my journey at Dumbarnie Links a modern masterpiece with its sprawling fairways and breathtaking views over the Firth of Forth. It’s a course that challenges and delights in equal measure a perfect appetizer for what’s to come. The fresh North Sea air the strategic bunkering and the sheer joy of playing such a beautifully crafted links course – it’s an invigorating start to any golfer’s Scottish adventure. You can almost feel the history seeping from the turf even on this newer gem preparing you for the sacred grounds that lie ahead.

My next stop would be the hallowed turf of the St Andrews New Course. Don't let the name fool you; 'new' is a relative term here dating back to 1895 this classic links layout designed by the legendary Old Tom Morris himself offers a stern but rewarding test. It’s a course that demands respect with its undulating fairways gorse-lined rough and tricky greens. Playing the New Course is like a conversation with golf's past a chance to walk in the footsteps of giants and to appreciate the enduring appeal of links golf in its purest form. It’s a fantastic warm-up for the main event sharpening your skills and your senses.

And then the ultimate finale: the Old Course at St Andrews. Stepping onto that first tee with the iconic Royal and Ancient Clubhouse behind you and the Swilcan Bridge beckoning in the distance is a moment that sends shivers down any golfer's spine. Every shot is steeped in history every bunker has a story to tell. From the treacherous Road Hole to the Valley of Sin it’s a round that will test every facet of your game and your nerve. Finishing on that 18th green in the heart of the Auld Grey Toon is more than just completing a round of golf; it’s a spiritual experience a memory to be cherished for a lifetime. It’s the perfect culmination of a St Andrews journey a story you’ll tell for years to come.

Central Wisconsin has been a staple in my top five in the USA in recent years, mainly due to the reconstruction of SentryWorld, host of the 2023 U.S. Senior Open. You also have all the new golf debuting at Sand Valley, headlined by Lidoand Sedge Valley last year as well as Ryder Cup venue Whistling Straits.

This year, the United States Golf Association returns to Erin Hills for the U.S. Women's Open. In Madison, the American Family Insurance Championship moves from University Ridge to TPC Wisconsin, a course newly redesigned by its beloved son Steve Stricker.

So why is that a big deal for Your Golf Travellers?

You can now go play University Ridge, ranked 19th in Golfers' Choice 2025 and watch one of the PGA Tour Champions' most popular tournaments launch a new team-oriented format. Appearances in the Golfers' Choice 2025 Top 50 by Geneva National's Trevino course(no. 15) on Lake Geneva and Washington County (no. 38) speaks to the depth of public golf in the region.

Royal Porthcawl, where the sea is visible from every tee, first burst onto the international tournament scene when an amateur Tiger Woods lost his singles match at the 1995 Walker Cup there. Wales' best links has followed up with a nice recent run of majors - Senior Opens in 2014, 2017 & 2023 and now The AIG Women's Open.

Golfers can either take on Porthcawl's links before or after the championship, or show up to watch the best women in the world, while exploring a land where sheep greatly outnumber people. I first toured the countryside in 2003, seeing a nice mix of links like Royal St. David's and Pennard (the magical 'Links in the Sky') and the parkland courses of Celtic Manor, the 2010 Ryder Cup host.

As a born and bred Surrey resident it would be remiss not to include it. A Surrey golf tour is an experience that truly sets the soul alight for any dedicated golfer. Imagine basing yourself in the heart of London at the luxurious Sir Rocco Forte’s Browns Hotel a haven of elegance and comfort. From this sophisticated sanctuary you'll venture out to some of the most revered golfing grounds in the world. This isn't just a golf trip it's an immersion into the very heart of golfing heritage a journey through landscapes that have tested and thrilled golfers for generations. The anticipation of stepping onto these storied fairways is a pleasure in itself a prelude to an unforgettable adventure.

The lineup of courses awaiting you is nothing short of breathtaking. We're talking about the pinnacle of heathland golf experiences that golfers dream of. Picture yourself teeing off at my very own St Georges Hill a true masterpiece then navigating the strategic challenges of Sunningdale's Old and New courses. Feel the magic of Swinley Forest a club so exclusive and revered it whispers history with every swing. Then there's the Berkshire with its magnificent Red and Blue layouts followed by the natural beauty of Hindhead and Hankley Common. And who could forget the formidable Walton Heath with its iconic Old and New or the classic designs of Woking and West Hill? Each course presents its own unique character its own set of challenges and its own unforgettable moments.

This tour is more than just ticking off a list of famous names it's about the pure unadulterated joy of playing golf at its finest. It’s about the camaraderie shared on those hallowed turfs the crisp air the stunning scenery and the personal challenge that each round presents. These are the experiences that become cherished memories the stories you'll recount for years to come. It’s an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of legends to test your skills against designs that have stood the test of time and to simply revel in our wonderful sport. This Surrey adventure promises an escape a test and a profound connection with the game we all love.