Are you looking for new golf vacation frontiers?
Here are five destinations where the golf road is a little less traveled. Places where you’ll find superb golf and activities and attractions that’ll enhance your visit and create lasting memories:
South Africa–Situated at the tip of the African continent, South Africa has the perfect blend of luxury, soft adventure, championship golf courses, the finest wines in the Southern Hemisphere and the opportunity to see the Big Five (elephant, leopard, buffalo, lion and rhino) in the their natural habitat on safari. You’ll test your skills on fairways where Zebras are likely to roam alongside or tee off from cliffs offering stunning panoramas. Accommodations in South Africa encompass beautiful lodges, boutique hotels and upscale, amenity-rich resorts. For wine lovers, South Africa has been producing wine for more than 350 years and has some of the most picturesque wineries on the planet.
New Zealand–Active volcanoes, spectacular glaciers, rugged mountains, gorgeous beaches, vast plains and lush forests make New Zealand a photogenic paradise. World-class golf architects like Jack Nicklaus, Tom Doak andRobert Trent Jones Jr. have capitalized on New Zealand’s amazing topography by designing courses at incredible, awe-inspiring locations. Set near either snow capped mountains or isolated coastal stretches, these courses, provide inspirational natural backdrops with breathtaking scenery. Better still, the courses are uncrowded and fun-to-play. To compliment your golf excursion, New Zealand has tours of its fabulous wineries in 12 wine regions and other activities like whale watching, helicopter tours, scenic train trips and boat cruises, diving, surfing and tours of “The Lord of the Rings” film locations.
Canada–From the dramatic Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links courses in Nova Scotia (created by Bandon Dunes developer Mike Keiser) to Western Canada’s courses set against backdrops of soaring mountains and lush pine forests, this country has lots to offer golfers. While golf is often overshadowed by hockey and winter sports, the spring, summer and early fall are great times to tee up. You can stay and play at legendary resorts like the Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, which is styled after a Scottish Baronial castle, and Jasper Lodge, an iconic luxury mountain resort on the shores of Lac Beauvert.
Australia–Aussies absolutely love golf. It’s the country’s number one participant sport. For golf vacationers, the combination of world-class golf, fine wines, unique cuisine, beautiful coastlines, a relaxed lifestyle and a welcoming, golf knowledgeable citizenry makes Australia a fantastic choice, especially for couples. There are more than 1,800 courses to choose from in Australia. The best courses are in a small area of Melbourne known as the Sand Belt, where legendary layouts like Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath and Commonwealth are located. Wine tours are popular with more than 60 wine regions. Australia has an outstanding outdoor dining lifestyle so you’ll enjoy some of the world’s best food and wine amid magnificent surroundings.
Italy–One of the great ways to “work-off” all the sumptuous pastas and delicious wines in Italy is to play golf. There are more than 250 golf courses in the country. Most of the courses are located in the Lake District north of Milan, in the Tuscany region around Florence and near Rome. Italy has become bullish on golf and attracting golf vacationers in recent years. It will host the Ryder Cup matches in 2022 at Marco Simone Golf Club near Rome.
