The Best Golf Destinations for a Long Weekend From New York
A long weekend leaves no room for long journeys. These are the eight golf destinations you can reach from New York in roughly two hours or so, play three or four rounds, and still be home for Monday. Ranked for the golf, the travel time and how easily the trip comes together, with indicative 2026 green fees on each.
Photograph: Pinehurst Resort, Ralph Daniels, via Google
How we ranked them
A weekend golf trip lives or dies on travel friction. We weighted three things: the quality and density of the golf, the travel time from the New York airports, and how short the transfers are once you arrive, because a long drive at each end ruins a three day trip. We have leaned toward destinations where you can base in one place and reach several courses easily, and toward the Carolinas and Bermuda, which combine the best golf with the shortest hops and the most reliable weather across the year. Pick by what matters most to you: the famous courses, the volume of golf, or an ocean island escape.
All travel times are approximate from the New York area and all green fees are indicative 2026 figures that move with season and demand, so treat them as a guide and always confirm directly before booking.
The ranking
Pinehurst, North Carolina
The default and the best all rounder. The flight into the North Carolina Sandhills is under two hours, and Pinehurst Resort alone holds ten courses in one walkable village, led by Donald Ross's revered No. 2, a four time US Open host, and rounded out by the brilliant par 3 short course, The Cradle. Fly Thursday, play three or four rounds from a single base, and be home Sunday night. It is the cradle of American golf and the most complete golf weekend on this list, no car juggling, no wasted time.
Indicative 2026 green fees roughly 150 to 500 plus dollars, with No. 2 at the top. Always confirm directly before booking.Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
The buddies trip capital of the East Coast. Myrtle Beach is under two hours from New York and the Grand Strand packs in more than eighty courses, from Caledonia and the Dye Club at Barefoot to dozens of fun, well priced layouts. The value is outstanding, the packages are built for groups, and the after golf scene needs no planning. Base on the Strand, play a different course each day, and keep the cost per round low. For maximum golf and a great time on a budget, nowhere beats it.
Indicative 2026 green fees roughly 50 to 200 dollars. Always confirm directly before booking.Bermuda
The closest international escape, and the most scenic on the list. Bermuda is roughly two hours from New York, with no time difference, and its golf runs along the Atlantic cliffs and dunes, led by Port Royal, a PGA Tour host, the private gem Mid Ocean, a Charles Blair Macdonald classic, and Tucker's Point. The island is tiny, so transfers are short, and you can pair three rounds with pink sand beaches and a proper resort feel. A polished, passport in hand weekend that feels far grander than the flight time suggests.
Indicative 2026 green fees roughly 100 to 300 dollars. Always confirm directly before booking.Kiawah Island and Charleston, South Carolina
The bucket list weekend. Charleston is a little over two hours from New York, and twenty minutes away Kiawah Island holds the Ocean Course, Pete Dye's brutal, beautiful links that hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, plus four more resort courses. Pair a round there with the rest of Kiawah and a night in one of America's finest food cities. It is pricier and more of an occasion than a value trip, but for a special weekend it is hard to beat.
Indicative 2026 green fees roughly 200 to 700 dollars at the Ocean Course. Always confirm directly before booking.Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
The relaxed lowcountry classic. Hilton Head, reached via Savannah or the island airport in a little over two hours, is built around Harbour Town Golf Links, Pete Dye's tree lined gem beneath the candy striped lighthouse and the long time home of the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour. Add the Sea Pines courses and a string of resort layouts among the live oaks and Spanish moss, and you have an easy, leafy weekend that suits couples and groups alike. Less dramatic than Kiawah, more laid back, and a genuine PGA Tour course on the card.
Indicative 2026 green fees roughly 150 to 500 dollars at Harbour Town. Always confirm directly before booking.Cape Cod and coastal New England
The drive and play option for the warmer months. Cape Cod is a half day's drive or a short hop north, and the peninsula and the wider New England coast serve a run of breezy, characterful seaside courses, from the public favourites of the Cape to the classic clubs of the region. It is at its best from June to early October, when the light is long and the turf is firm. Pair the golf with lobster, beaches and a quintessential New England weekend, and keep the base on the Cape to limit the driving.
Indicative 2026 green fees roughly 80 to 250 dollars. Always confirm directly before booking.Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore
The easiest of all, with no airport in sight. Atlantic City is a two and a half hour drive from New York, and the area pairs golf with the boardwalk and the casinos for a classic guys' or girls' weekend. The golf is better than its reputation, led by the Bay Course at Seaview, a Donald Ross design that has hosted LPGA events, and the acclaimed Galloway National nearby, with several solid resort and daily fee courses around them. Drive down Thursday, play three rounds, and be back without ever setting foot in a terminal.
Indicative 2026 green fees roughly 80 to 220 dollars. Always confirm directly before booking.Cabot Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
The ambitious one, and worth the effort for the right group. Cabot, on the west coast of Cape Breton, is reached by a roughly two hour flight to Halifax and a scenic drive, so it is a tighter fit for a three day weekend, best stretched to four. The reward is two of the finest courses in the Americas, Rod Whitman's Cabot Links and the Coore and Crenshaw Cabot Cliffs, both world top 100, plus the par 3 Nest. It is summer only and a longer haul than the rest, but for a links pilgrimage from the Northeast it is the standout.
Indicative 2026 green fees from around 450 Canadian dollars, about 329 US dollars, resort guest peak. Always confirm directly before booking.Travel times and indicative green fees verified June 2026; both vary by airline, season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Plan a golf weekend
Tell us your dates, your group and roughly where you fancy, and one concierge builds the tee times, transfers and base around your travel days, and costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Long weekend golf questions
What is the best golf destination for a long weekend from New York?
Pinehurst in North Carolina is the best all round choice, a flight of under two hours into the heart of the American Sandhills, where ten courses sit in one resort village, led by Donald Ross's famous No. 2 and the brilliant short course The Cradle. You can fly Thursday, play three or four rounds from one base, and be home Sunday night. For sheer volume and value, Myrtle Beach is the buddies trip pick, and Bermuda is the closest international escape at around two hours.
Which golf destination has the shortest flight from New York?
Pinehurst and Myrtle Beach are both under two hours by air, while Bermuda is around two hours and the South Carolina coast at Charleston and Hilton Head is a little over two. Atlantic City is a two and a half hour drive with no flight at all. These short hops leave the most time for golf on a three or four day weekend. Flight times are approximate and vary by airline and airport.
How many rounds can you play on a long weekend golf trip?
On a Thursday to Sunday trip most golfers play three or four rounds. The key is keeping transfers short, so base yourself in one cluster, the Pinehurst resort village, the Myrtle Beach Grand Strand, or one Kiawah or Hilton Head resort, rather than spreading out. We build the tee times around the travel days to fit the most golf into the time.
When is the best time for a golf weekend from New York?
Spring and autumn are the sweet spot for the Carolinas and Bermuda, with comfortable temperatures and courses in good condition, and the Carolinas also play well through much of winter. Cape Cod, New England and Cabot in Nova Scotia are summer destinations, best from June to early October. Always confirm course conditions and fees directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.