Journal · Resorts · June 2026

Best Golf Resorts in the World for 2026

A great golf resort is multiple rounds worth crossing an ocean for. Here is our refreshed 2026 shortlist of the multi course estates that get it right, from Pebble Beach to Cabot, with our verdicts on each.

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By the GolfForKings editorial desk · Editorial policy · Published June 13, 2026 · Last reviewed June 2026

The resorts setting the standard in 2026

A great golf resort is more than a great course with beds attached. It is multiple rounds worth crossing an ocean for, a place that works for a buddies group and a non golfing partner alike, and a sense of occasion from the moment you arrive. For 2026 we have refreshed our thinking on the resorts that deliver all of that, the multi course destinations where you could happily lose a week and never feel short changed.

What follows is our editorial shortlist, the verdicts are ours, and it leans toward stay and play estates where the golf, the lodging and the wider experience pull in the same direction. For the full, continuously updated ranking, see our evergreen guide to the best golf resorts in the world.

Our 2026 shortlist

GolfForKings editorial shortlist of the world's best golf resorts for 2026. Verdicts are ours. Listed by region, not strict rank.
Resort	Why it makes the list (our verdict)
Pebble Beach, California	The most famous stretch of resort golf on earth, anchored by Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill, with the Pacific never far from view. Expensive, oversubscribed and still worth it once.
Bandon Dunes, Oregon	Five walking only links courses on a wild Pacific clifftop, plus the Punchbowl and Preserve. The purest links pilgrimage in North America, and a buddies trip benchmark.
Pinehurst, North Carolina	The cradle of American golf, with No. 2 the headline and a deep bench of courses around the village. History, sandhills and a genuine golf town.
Cabot, Nova Scotia	Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs put Canada on the world golf map, raw oceanfront links at the edge of the Atlantic, with the wider Cabot collection now spanning continents.
Kiawah Island, South Carolina	The Ocean Course is the draw, a brutal, beautiful Pete Dye links that has hosted the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup, wrapped in a polished Lowcountry resort.
Gleneagles, Scotland	Three highland courses, a grand hotel and a Ryder Cup pedigree, the most complete luxury golf and everything else estate in Scotland.
Sand Valley, Wisconsin	Coore and Crenshaw and Bill Coore sandhills golf in the American Midwest, fast, firm and walkable, a modern destination built for the multi round trip.
Mauna Lani, Hawaii	Two par 72 courses through black lava on the Kohala Coast, led by the South Course's ocean carry 15th, warm weather resort golf with the family in tow.

An editorial selection by the GolfForKings desk, June 2026; verdicts are ours and reflect the multi round stay and play experience, not green fee alone. See our evergreen ranking for the full, continuously updated list.

Our take

The pattern across the 2026 list is clear: the resorts that endure are the ones built for golfers first. Multiple courses you actually want to play, walkable where the land allows, lodging within a wedge of the first tee, and a town or coastline that gives the non golfers in the group a reason to come along. Single course resorts can be wonderful for a night, but the trips that people talk about for years are the multi round estates.

If you are weighing one of these for 2026, the deciding factors are usually season and access rather than the golf itself, which is uniformly excellent. We plan these stays to the head, sequence the courses so the best round lands at the right moment, and book the lodging that unlocks the tee times. Tell us who is travelling and when, and we will shape it around your group.

Plan your golf trip

Tell us which of these resorts is calling and we will sequence the courses, secure the tee times and book the right rooms around them. One concierge, no obligation.

Common questions

What is the best golf resort in the world for 2026?

There is no single answer, but Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes and Pinehurst sit at the top of most travelling golfers' lists for their depth of courses and sense of place. The right choice depends on your group, your season and how far you want to travel.

Which resort is best for a group with non golfers?

Resorts with a strong wider offering, such as Gleneagles, Pebble Beach and the Hawaii resorts, work best for mixed groups, pairing top golf with spa, dining and scenery for those not playing every day.

Keep reading

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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Facts and figures verified June 2026 from event organizers, course operators and leading databases; all green fees are indicative and change by season, so always confirm directly before booking. Published June 13, 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.