Destination GOLF

What's it like working designing golf holes with Tiger Woods? And how did early experiences on Augusta and Cypress Point shape a future course architect? GOLF.com's Josh Sens asks these questions and more of the accomplished architect Beau Welling. Enjoy!

Golf's spotlight is on Royal Portrush, Royal County Down, and all the great golf in Northern Ireland as they prepare to host the 2025 Open Championship. If you want to plan your trip to the golf-crazed country, Simon Holt and Josh Sens are here with every course, hotel, and pub you need to know for a weeklong itinerary. Then the guys draft their Dream Foursome of the legendary Open rota course...

Known around the world for its top-tier private courses, public tracks in the Bay Area also have so much to offer a visiting golfer. Josh Sens, who's lived in the Bay for decades, takes us around to the can't miss spots to eat, drink, and play if you're visiting Northern California. Enjoy!

One of the game's most famous faces chose Montana as his retirement destination, but why? 6-time major champion Nick Faldo talks about his golf course projects, life after broadcasting, and his favorite courses around the world in this interview with Josh Sens. Sir Nick also dives in to his new business venture, building short courses in small paces with both turf and grass. Enjoy!

Beautiful beaches, great wine, and proud rugby traditions define the two islands of New Zealand. For golf lovers, this is a special bucket list destination. Courses like Te Arai and Paraparaumu Beach capture our attention for their incredible views and sand-swept topography, but there are many more tracks out there for you to discover. Simon Holt and Josh Sens lay out their weeklong itinerary for...

Every experience on a GOLF Magazine Top 100 Course is a special one. But imagine traveling the globe in pursuit of playing every course on the list? Panelist David Margolis has completed multiple lists, and he's had plenty of fun along the way. Enjoy this interview with Simon Holt on world travel, once-in-a-lifetime golf experiences, great food, and more.

Walking the Old Course at St. Andrews is a lifelong anticipation for golfers around the world. But how can you actually make it happen? Simon Holt and Josh Sens relive their favorite memories from the home of golf, and they'll help you get on too. The surrounding Scottish county of Fife is full of great golf that dates back hundreds of years. We pick out a 5-day itinerary of great links course...

The golf culture in China is truly unlike anywhere else in the world. Take it from course architect Brian Curley, who’s built dozens of tracks in China and throughout Asia. Brian grew up in Monterey, CA, with early exposure to Cypress Point, Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. His first jobs in the industry came working for Pete Dye on PGA West and Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course. Many of Brian’s designs...

Known for its vast selection of courses, there's plenty of reasons to visit Myrtle Beach, one of America's favorite golf destinations. Although not known for its architectural prowess, the region boasts courses from Tom Doak and Robert Trent Jones, among many others. Learn about why this fun, affordable location makes for a great vacation in this destination guide with Josh Sens and Simon...

Obsessed with golf course architecture since he was a kid, Kyle Franz is living out his childhood dreams. From his first gig under Tom Doak at Pacific Dunes, to breathing new life into a trio of Donald Ross courses in Pinehurst, Franz has proven his devotion to thoughtful architecture. Now, the praise is piling on for his work on the Karoo course at Cabot Citrus Farms in a style all his own. Kyle...

If you're lucky enough to score Masters tickets, you'll want to bring your sticks with you, just not to Augusta National. Where can you play golf during Masters week? With the proper planning, you can get on basically everywhere, including private gems like Broomsedge, Old Barnwell, and Tree Farm. Josh Sens and Simon Holt break down the booming golf market of Aiken, South Carolina, just across the...

As the son of 1968 Masters champion Bob Goalby, our guest Kye Goalby has incredible stories from growing up around Augusta National, like hitting shanks onto Magnolia Lane in front of Sam Snead and Jack Nicklaus. Decades later, he's found his own way in golf, working on big projects like Tree Farm, Tara Iti, and Ballyneal. Kye explains why he loves his craft enough to spend more than 300 days...

On the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, Cabo has developed into a desirable golf destination. Diamante Dunes, Cabo del Sol, and Quivira top the charts in this part of the world where the sun shines bright. Josh Sens interviews Brian McCallen, a former GOLF Magazine travel writer who moved to Cabo San Lucas in the 1990s. Today, he's painting the picture of great coastal golf in M...

Lahinch, Ballybunion, and Adare Manor are some of the most well-known courses in this golf-rich region of Ireland. Simon Holt and Josh Sens lay out the weeklong itinerary to play these three, plus a collection of great tracks you'll find in GOLF's Top 100 Courses in the UK & Ireland. From the Guinness and black pudding to the Cliffs of Moher, the heaving dunes of South West Ireland offer a spe...

In the southeast of England, three Open Championship hosts are available for travelers to play some of the greatest courses in links golf. At Royal St. George's, "temporary members" are treated to the experience of a lifetime, including one of the greatest lunches in golf. Club secretary Colin Sinclair makes this is all possible. He speaks with Simon Holt about what makes this part o...

The golf in Australia is truly some of the best in the world. The soil in the Sandbelt region is perfect for undulating greens and terrain with firm running ground. Steep edged bunkers surrounding greens make for incredible photos. Every course in the area is great, but some standouts are Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Kingston Heath Golf Club and Metropolitan Golf Club. Join Simon Holt and Josh Sens...

Pete Dye's ashes are spread at Teeth of the Dog, the mesmerizing course in the Dominican Republic where you can dip your driver in the Caribbean on several tee boxes. Pete's friend, and longtime Director of Golf at this Top 100 Course in the World is Gilles Gagnon. He talks about his first-ever meeting with Dye, and tells several laugh-out-loud stories about the famous architect up until h...

There's no experience in the world like the days you'll spend at Muirfield and North Berwick. Instead of bouncing around Scotland quickly from place to place, our expert Simon Holt implores you to stop and stay a while. Or in this case, to stop and stay in North Berwick, and use it as a home base to play all the great golf in the East Lothian region. In this episode, Simon lays out his ful...

Cabot continues its global takeover of remote golf with its latest opening, Cabot Citrus Farms. Josh Sens sits down with Cabot's CEO and co-founder, Ben Cowan-Dewar, to discuss how far golf travel has come, where it's going next, and the lessons he's learned along the way. Enjoy it!

The California coast is one of the most beautiful (and famous) golf destinations in the world. Are you ready to book your trip? Josh Sens, GOLF's Senior Writer based in the Bay Area, and Simon Holt, the founder of 8AM Travel and the man in charge of GOLF's Top 100 Courses panel, lay out everything you need to know about traveling to Pebble Beach and Monterey. With this guide to golf, trave...

What do architects Tom Doak, Coore & Crenshaw, Gil Hanse, and David McLay Kidd all have in common? Now, they'll appear with their own designs at Streamsong in Florida. Destination GOLF host Josh Sens has been following McLay Kidd's career ever since he burst on the scene 25 years ago at Bandon Dunes. The two talk Scottish golf, the importance of the ground game, and flying around the w...

The new year is in full gear for GOLF.com travel experts Simon Holt and Josh Sens. The guys tell us what they're up to and what we can expect from the Destination GOLF crew this winter. We wonder how to properly communicate with your spouse why you're really on this vacation, and how best to prepare for (and recover from) a long flight. After that, we hear from Hall of Famer Gary Player, who says...

What is it like to travel the world golfing with the members you teach? GOLF Top 100 Teacher and World Top 100 Course Rater Michael Hunt knows the best of both. He explains to Simon Holt how he puts these trips together, where he's gone, and what you can learn from traveling with a large group. Then we'll get his two Dream Foursomes: his favorite courses now and the places he's most lo...

Now that you've planned out your trip, how are you going to make the most of it? Lifelong travelers Simon Holt and Josh Sens are sharing their secrets for what to (and not to) pack, telling their favorite caddie stories, and going deep on every little detail you should know during your golf trip. Join us for our most fun episode yet!

What makes a golf trip great? Bringing the right people, playing beautiful courses, and making lasting memories are all incredibly important. A great golf trip requires detailed planning, setting you and your group up for success when the time comes to make the most of your itinerary. What are the keys to a fun, worthwhile trip? Global travelers and course raters Simon Holt and Josh Sens break dow...