The Best Buddies Golf Trip Destinations, 2026
A buddies trip lives or dies on the whole package: the golf, the beds, the table and the travel between them. These are the destinations that get all four right in 2026, matched to the kind of group you are.
Photo via Google.
What the great buddies trips share
The best buddies trips are not just about the best courses. They are about the whole rhythm of the days: golf that tests everyone without breaking the high handicapper, a base that keeps the group under one roof, and a town or a clubhouse that makes the evenings as good as the rounds. Short transfers are the quiet hero. Spend less time in the van and more time on the tee, and a long weekend feels like a week.
With that in mind, here is where to point a 2026 group, sorted by the kind of trip you are after.
For the pilgrimage: Scotland and Ireland
Nothing tops a links pilgrimage, and 2026 is a fine year for one. In Scotland, Ayrshire, Fife and East Lothian each pack several world class links within a short drive of one base, so a group can play a different championship course every morning and walk back to the same hotel bar each night. Ireland's southwest answers with the great Atlantic links of Kerry and Clare. Book the summer tee times early; this is the trip people remember for years, and our society trips to Scotland and society trips to Ireland are built exactly for groups.
For sun and value: the Algarve and the Costa del Sol
When the group wants warmth, a pool and a guaranteed good time, southern Europe is the answer. The Algarve and Spain's Costa del Sol both cluster strong courses around resort towns full of villas, bars and restaurants, with short drives between rounds and reliable weather across a long season. They suit mixed ability groups and bigger budgets and smaller ones alike, and the shoulder months keep the cost sensible.
For the American road trip: the desert and the dunes
In the United States, Scottsdale and the Arizona desert deliver winter golf, nightlife and a wall of resort courses, the classic stag and buddies destination. For a quieter, purer golf retreat, the dune and forest resorts of the upper Midwest are made for a group that wants to stay put and play multiple rounds a day. Our newly profiled Forest Dunes in northern Michigan is the model: a lodge, a Tom Weiskopf course, Tom Doak's reversible Loop that plays two ways and a par 3 short course, all on one remote property built for staying and playing.
Match the destination to the group
| If your group wants | Go here in 2026 |
|---|---|
| The links pilgrimage | Ayrshire, Fife or East Lothian in Scotland; Kerry or Clare in Ireland |
| Sun, value and a pool | The Algarve, Portugal; the Costa del Sol, Spain |
| Winter golf and nightlife | Scottsdale and the Arizona desert |
| A stay and play retreat | Forest Dunes and northern Michigan; the dune resorts of the Midwest |
| One fixed price, warm and easy | Belek, Turkey, on an all inclusive package |
Our take
If the group has never done a links trip, do that first; Scotland or Ireland in summer is the one everyone should tick. If you have done the pilgrimage and want sun and ease, the Algarve is the reliable repeat. And if your crowd would rather stay in one place and play golf until dark, a dune and forest resort like Forest Dunes is the trip that surprises people most. Whichever you pick, settle the group size and the base first, then build the golf around it. Our full buddies trip destinations list ranks the field, and our team will cost any of them to the head.
Plan the 2026 buddies trip
Give us the group, the dates and the kind of trip you want, and one concierge builds it: the tee times, the lodging that keeps everyone together and the transfers, all costed to the head with no obligation.
Buddies trip questions
What makes a good buddies golf trip destination?
Three or four strong courses within a short drive of one base, lodging that keeps the group together, and somewhere good to eat and drink at the end of the day. Easy travel matters more than people expect: a destination where you can play, stay and socialize without long transfers keeps the energy up across a long weekend or a week.
How far ahead should we book a 2026 buddies trip?
For the marquee links of Scotland and Ireland in summer, book six to twelve months ahead, since the best tee times and the larger group lodging go early. Resort destinations like the Algarve, the Costa del Sol and Belek have more availability and can be booked closer in, though the best value still rewards planning ahead.
What is the ideal group size?
Eight is the sweet spot: two fourballs, simple to pair and easy to seat for dinner. Many clubs and resorts price and tee off groups of eight cleanly, and most lodges and villas sleep eight comfortably. Larger societies of twelve to sixteen work well too, but need more lead time and usually a planner to coordinate.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Picks reflect June 2026 research; access and rates change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.