The buddies trip is the best week in golf: a group of friends, a fistful of fourballs, a stack of side bets and a different course every day. Some places are simply built for it. Here are the ten destinations we would send a golf group to, ranked.
A great buddies destination needs more than one great course. It needs depth, several rounds within easy reach so nobody spends the holiday in a van, lodging that suits a group, an easy social scene for the post round pint and the running scoreboard, and value that keeps the whole party in. We weigh the strength of the golf first, then how easily a group of eight to sixteen can fill three or four days, and the cost. The verdicts are ours.
The list splits into two camps. At the top sit the bucket list links trips, Scotland, Bandon Dunes and Ireland, where the golf is the entire point. Below them come the value and sunshine destinations, from Myrtle Beach to the Algarve, that pack in plenty of golf, warmth and nightlife without emptying the kitty. We have flagged which is which so you can match the trip to the group.
Reviewed June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Destination facts and indicative costs verified at publication. How we research and review.
From the home of golf in Scotland to the value resorts of the Mediterranean, ranked with our verdicts and the reasons to take the group there.
The home of golf and the buddies trip every group should take once. Base in St Andrews and play the Old Course, then run down to Ayrshire for Royal Troon and Turnberry or across to East Lothian for North Berwick and Muirfield, with great pubs at every stop. Walkable, social and steeped in history. Nothing else is quite like it.
The purest golf only buddies trip in America. Five championship links on the Pacific, all walked with a caddie, with everyone under one roof and the lodge bar a short stagger from your room. No distractions, no cars, just golf, weather and the game. The trip serious groups talk about for years.
The great links of the southwest, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Tralee and Old Head, strung along the Wild Atlantic Way, with traditional towns, music and Guinness between rounds. A driving trip, but the distances are short and the craic is unmatched. The most fun a group can have on links land.
The original American buddies trip and still the value champion, with around eighty courses along the Grand Strand and a package industry built for groups. Strantz gems like Caledonia and True Blue lead the quality, beach condos sleep the whole party, and the nightlife needs no introduction. Hard to beat for the money.
Winter sun, dramatic desert courses and a nightlife scene to match. Scottsdale packs in TPC Scottsdale, We Ko Pa and a string of resort courses, with warm days from November to April and a short hop from the airport. The default escape when a group wants golf and warmth in the depths of winter.
A walkable golf village with nine resort courses led by Donald Ross's No. 2, plus The Cradle short course made for evening matches and beers. Stay in the village, walk to the tee and settle the bets on the porch. The most authentic golf town in America and a brilliant group base.
For the group that wants more than golf. Play Shadow Creek, Wynn and a string of desert courses by day, then the Strip does the rest. Pricey at the top end but unmatched for a big celebration trip, a stag week or a milestone birthday with the boys.
The best value golf week in the Mediterranean. More than a dozen championship courses among the pines near Antalya, including Carya and Montgomerie Maxx Royal, with all inclusive resorts and short transfers. Sun, plenty of golf and food and drinks bundled in. Built for a society or buddies week.
Europe's most reliable golf coast, with the Quinta do Lago and Vilamoura clusters offering dozens of quality courses, dependable weather almost year round and short transfers from Faro. Easy flights, group friendly villas and a relaxed social scene make it the default European buddies trip.
The Costa del Golf, with more than fifty courses between Malaga and Gibraltar, led by Valderrama and the Marbella resorts, plus warm winters and a buzzing coastal nightlife. Quick flights and a huge choice of villas and golf make it a dependable, fun group week that rounds out our buddies ten.
Match the destination to the group. Eight to sixteen players is the sweet spot: enough for proper match play and a full minibus, small enough to get tee times and a dinner table. Spring and autumn suit the links and the Mediterranean, while Arizona and Las Vegas peak in winter and early spring. Most destinations on this list run group packages that bundle several rounds, lodging and transfers, which is the simplest way to keep costs down and the kitty fair.
The value gap is wide. Turkey, the Algarve, Spain and Myrtle Beach deliver a lot of golf for the money, while Scotland, Bandon and Las Vegas sit at the premium end. The figures below are indicative per head costs for a typical golf few nights, excluding flights, to help you set the budget.
| Destination | Type | Indicative per head |
|---|---|---|
| Belek, Turkey | All inclusive value | $800 to $1,400 |
| The Algarve | Resort value | $900 to $1,600 |
| Myrtle Beach | Resort value | $900 to $1,600 |
| Scotland | Links, bucket list | $2,500 to $4,500 |
| Bandon Dunes | Links, bucket list | $2,500 to $4,500 |
Compare live tee times through our partner: [TEE_TIME_AFFILIATE_LINK]. Group lodging near the courses: [HOTEL_AFFILIATE_LINK].
A buddies trip lives on the detail: the right courses in the right order, lodging that keeps the group together, transfers that turn up, and a fair system for the bets. Tell us the group, the budget and the kind of week you want, links pilgrimage or sunshine value, and we will match it to the destination and build the itinerary.
We secure the tee times, including the hard ones, arrange the rooms and the minibus, and handle the logistics so the organiser can actually enjoy the trip. Groups of any size, from a fourball to a full society.
Scotland is our number one for a buddies golf trip, with the Old Course at St Andrews, the Ayrshire and East Lothian links and great pubs all close together. For a self contained golf only week, Bandon Dunes in Oregon is unbeatable, and southwest Ireland is the third of the great links options.
Belek in Turkey, the Algarve in Portugal and Spain's Costa del Sol offer the best value, with all inclusive resorts, short transfers and a dozen or more quality courses each. Myrtle Beach is the value champion in the United States, with around eighty courses and packages built for groups.
Indicative 2026 costs run from around 800 to 1,500 US dollars per head for a few nights in Turkey, the Algarve or Myrtle Beach excluding flights, rising to 2,500 to 5,000 dollars and up for Scotland, Bandon Dunes or Pebble Beach. Always confirm directly before booking.
Groups of eight to sixteen work best: two to four fourballs make easy match play, fill a minibus and keep costs sensible, while still being small enough to get tee times and a table for dinner. We can plan trips for groups of any size.
Spring and autumn suit the links destinations and the Mediterranean, while the desert resorts of Arizona and Las Vegas are best in winter and early spring. Myrtle Beach and the Carolinas are at their best in spring and autumn too.
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