Best Golf Destinations for Couples, 2026
The best couples trip is not a golf trip with a spa bolted on. It is a place where the golf is genuinely great and the non-golfer is just as well looked after, where the round ends and the day is only getting started. These are our six for 2026.
Photo: Kapalua Plantation Course, Maui via Google.
How we chose
We ranked for the same things a couple actually wants from a week away: golf worth crossing an ocean for, a non-golf side strong enough to fill the other half of every day, short drives so no one spends the trip in a car, and the kind of food, scenery and small luxuries that make the evenings as good as the mornings. Pure golf factories, however good the courses, did not make the cut.
The order reflects how well each destination balances those demands rather than the world ranking of its courses. All six are places we send couples again and again, and each links through to its full destination guide and trip page so you can go deeper on the one that fits.
The six for 2026
1. The Algarve, Portugal
Our top couples pick, and it is not close on balance. The southern coast of Portugal packs a dozen excellent courses into short drives, led by the cork oak elegance of San Lorenzo and the Quinta do Lago layouts, while the marina towns, beaches, seafood and value do the rest. The weather is reliable across a long shoulder season, the resorts are built for two, and a non-golfer is never more than minutes from a beach club or a spa. Start with our Algarve golf guide and Algarve golf holidays.
2. Maui, Hawaii
For pure romance with a tee time attached, Maui is hard to beat. The Plantation Course at Kapalua is one of the great resort rounds on earth, all plunging fairways and Pacific horizon, and the island delivers everything else a couple could want, from snorkeling and the road to Hana to some of the best sunsets in the world. It is a long flight and a premium price, but as a milestone trip it is unforgettable. See our Hawaii golf guide and Hawaii golf holidays.
3. Los Cabos, Mexico
Where the desert meets the Sea of Cortez, Los Cabos has quietly become one of the best resort golf destinations anywhere, and it is built for couples. The golf is dramatic and the service is polished, the beaches and the dining are excellent, and the winter sun is dependable when much of the northern hemisphere is closed for the season. It pairs a serious golf itinerary with an easy resort week as well as anywhere on our list. Explore our Los Cabos golf guide and Los Cabos golf holidays.
4. Fife and St Andrews, Scotland
The home of golf is more romantic than its reputation suggests. Base in St Andrews and a couple gets the history and the ceremony of the Old Course alongside a beautiful old town of restaurants, cashmere, castles and coast, with day trips to whisky country and the East Neuk fishing villages. One partner can play the great links while the other walks the West Sands or the town, and the evenings belong to both. See our Fife golf guide and Fife golf holidays.
5. Cape Town and the Garden Route, South Africa
The most adventurous pick, and the best value at the top end. Cape Town pairs serious golf with one of the world's great cities, the winelands of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, and a coastline that runs into the Garden Route and on toward safari. For a couple who want golf to be one thread of a bigger journey rather than the whole rope, nowhere does more in a single trip. Start with our Cape Town golf guide and Cape Town golf holidays.
6. The Monterey Peninsula, California
The classic American couples splurge. Pebble Beach is the round of a lifetime, but the peninsula around it, Carmel, Big Sur, the 17 Mile Drive and a coast of extraordinary beauty, is what turns a single tee time into a week worth taking. It is expensive and it should be planned around shoulder season, but few places marry a bucket list course with a setting this romantic. See our Monterey Peninsula guide and the best courses on the Monterey Peninsula.
Our take
The single biggest mistake on a couples golf trip is over scheduling the golf. Two or three rounds across a week, spaced so there are whole days that belong to both of you, beats a round a day every time. Pick the destination for its non-golf strength first, then slot the courses in around the trip rather than the other way around. Every one of these six rewards that approach.
Travel in shoulder season where you can. The crowds thin, the pricing softens and the weather still holds across the Algarve, Fife, Cape Town and Monterey, while Maui and Los Cabos shine through the northern winter. Tell us which one fits and we will build the week so the golfer and the non-golfer both come home happy.
Plan a couples golf trip
Tell us where you are dreaming of and what the non-golfer loves, and we will build a week that balances the golf with everything else. Costed to the head, no obligation.
Common questions
What makes a golf destination good for couples?
The best couples golf destinations pair world class courses with a genuine non-golf side: great beaches or scenery, excellent food and wine, spas, and easy half days that do not revolve around a tee time. The golf is the anchor, not the whole trip.
Which is the best golf destination for couples in 2026?
Our 2026 top pick is the Algarve in Portugal, for its short drives between top courses, reliable weather, superb dining and beaches, and strong value. Maui, Los Cabos, Fife, Cape Town and the Monterey Peninsula complete our six.
When is the best time to take a couples golf trip?
Shoulder season usually wins: thinner crowds, softer pricing and pleasant weather. Late spring and early autumn suit the Algarve, Fife, Cape Town and Monterey, while Maui and Los Cabos are strong through winter into spring.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Destination and course details reviewed June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.