Best golf resorts on the East Coast

With some of the most popular and well-known golf resorts in the US dotted along the East Coast, it's no surprise that a golf vacation here will allow you to experience some of the best golf and hospitality you will find.

With destinations including Kiawah Island, Sawgrass Marriott, and more, we review the very best golf resorts on the East Coast – perfect for an unforgettable golf trip.

Just an hour south of Charleston, The Villas at Kiawah Island Golf Resort is the perfect golfer’s getaway. Only a 40-minute drive from downtown Charleston, regularly voted the #1 place to visit in the US, if you’re looking to indulge in some history, culture and great nightlife, a vacation to Kiawah Island is ideal.

Set right along the Atlantic Ocean, the Kiawah Villas range in size from one to four bedrooms making this resort ideal for groups of any size. With a selection of five golf courses on-site, 11 restaurants across the resort, and one of the best rated spas in the country, it’s easy to see why Kiawah Island is the perfect destination for a South Carolina golf package.

Often referred to as a golfer’s paradise, the Kiawah Island Golf Resort is home to the world-renowned Ocean Course. Designed by Pete Dye and host to the 1991 Ryder Cup, 2012 (Rory McIlroy), and 2021 (Phil Mickelson) PGA Championships, this course is definitely one to tick off the bucket list. Add Osprey, Turtle, Cougar, and Oak Point to the trip's itinerary and you’ll have a fantastic selection of golf designed by world class architects that rivals any resort in the world.

Located in Ponte Vedra Beach and situated on-site to the highly regarded TPC Sawgrass, the The Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa is the ideal golf resort with luxury accommodation as well as access to world famous courses.

Here, you’ll find a wide range of accommodation options from traditional guestrooms to relaxing suites and spacious villas as well as a myriad of dining options. When you’re taking a break from the course, experience the Sawgrass Spa which offers 20,000 square feet of complete relaxation, or if you’re looking to venture outside the resort, with access to the Cabana Beach Club, you’ll be able to relax on the white-sand shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

Of course, the phenomenal golf courses right on your doorstep are the main reason Sawgrass Marriott should be on your short list for a golf vacation on the East Coast. Home to illustrious THE PLAYERS Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass boasts two impressive Pete Dye designed championship courses that should be on your golf bucket list.

Often referred to as one of the best and most famous courses in the world, THE PLAYERS Stadium Course will provide you with an unforgettable golfing experience. Also located at TPC Sawgrass, Dye's Valley Course, is another fantastic course that will test your golfing ability with water hazards on most holes.

With a staggering four championship level golf courses and a range of luxurious accommodation, the Trump National Doral is up there with one of the best golf resorts on the East Coast. Located in Miami, this resort has over 600 rooms and a variety of suites available.

Plus, there is an array of dining options available and multiple on-site activities including a luxurious spa, fitness center, and tennis courts. Only a 30-minute drive into downtown Miami, the location of this resort is perfect if you’re looking to explore one of the hottest vacation spots when you’re taking a day off from golf.

Home to 72 holes of outstanding golf, this resort is perfect for your next golf vacation. The standout course at Trump National Doral has to be the Blue Monster Course. This par-72 Florida-style golf course was recently renovated in 2014 by Gil Hanse making it even more challenging and dramatic.

With water hazards, deep bunkers, and picturesque views, this course will certainly be a memorable one. The Golden Palm, The Red Tiger, and The Silver Fox are the remaining three courses at the resort that each offer something unique. Packed with fantastic golf courses, it’s certain that a vacation to Trump National Doral will certainly test your golfing skill!

Set in the stunning Myrtle Beach, the enormous Legends Golf Resort is a Scottish-inspired resort featuring five fantastic golf courses. Comprised of two and three-bedroom villas, the Legends Golf Resort is perfect for small groups of friends and families who want the iconic Scottish “Home of Golf” experience.

The resort also has a fantastic on-site pub, voted one of the best 19th holes in the country by Golf Digest. Named after the Turnberry Ailsa Course, the Ailsa Pub combines a fantastic atmosphere with great food and is the perfect place to relax after a round of golf.

Legends is home to five golf courses – three on-site and two offsite. The Heathland, Parkland, and Moorland are all situated on the property with Oyster Bay Links and The Heritage Club around 45 minutes away.

Arguably the premier course at the Legends Golf Resort, the Moorland Course is a Pete Dye design that will challenge even the most skilled golfers with deep strategically placed bunkers. With each course offering a unique playing experience, a vacation to Myrtle Beach will certainly be one to remember.

The ideal stay & play resort located in Orlando, the Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge Resort is home to 27 holes of championship standard golf. From your day of arrival, you’ll be treated as a member of the golf club, with immaculate service and facilities available to use.

Accommodation at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill is split between standard guestrooms, suites, and guest cottages making it the ideal resort for any guest group. The resort also has a private spa, heated swimming pool and a fitness center– all perfect for relaxing. If you’re looking to venture off the resort, downtown Orlando is only 20 minutes away.

Open only to Club members and guests staying at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge, the Arnold Palmer Golf Club is right on your doorstep and sweeps across 270 acres along the shores of the Butler Chain of Lakes. Host to the PGA Tour’s ‘Arnold Palmer Invitational’, the Champion and Challenger 9’s compose the 18 holes that are played during this tournament.

With pristine course conditions 365 days a year and measuring 7,300 yards, these layouts will impress and challenge any level of golfer. Under-rated, the 9-hole Charger course is more of a traditional resort style course that features large fairways, palm trees, and water hazards.

Situated in the heart of the Sandhills region, the Talamore Golf Resort is a golfer’s dream, with spacious two and three-bedroom villas available, as well as some fantastic golf available. With the villas and lodges being excellent options for self-catering, you’ll experience complete flexibility with a stay here.

The clubhouses at the two on-site golf courses offer a great selection of food and with a 2.5-mile jogging trail, tennis, basketball, and an outdoor pool on-site, there’s plenty on offer to keep you active.

Designed in 1991 by Rees Jones, The New Course is the older of the two at Talamore. A perfect example of the golf you can expect in the Sandhill area, this course features nearly everything a golfer could dream of - towering pine trees, wetlands, lakes, huge bunkers, wastelands, and elevation changes of over 150 feet.

The Mid-South Course was designed by Arnold Palmer in 1993 and consistently ranks as one of the best courses in North Carolina. Just like The New Course, Mid-South also features some impressive golfing challenges and further proves why Talamore is an exceptional golf facility.

Right in the heart of Hilton Head Island and overlooking the white sand beaches along the Atlantic Ocean, the Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort has everything you need for an all-round golf trip. With three golf courses on-site, a marina, shops, a tennis center, over 50 miles of bike trails, and an 11-mile lagoon for kayaking, there’s plenty to keep you busy both on and off the course. Palmetto Dunes also offers a variety of accommodations for all group sizes from villas right on the golf courses, to spacious houses near the beach.

With three excellent courses, Palmetto Dunes is the perfect option to experience some sensational golf right on your doorstep. The Robert Trent Jones Course is a Low Country Classic, home to one of the two oceanfront holes on Hilton Head Island with sensational views, wide fairways, elevation changes, and challenging bunkers.

The Arthur Hills Course winds through an extensive network of lagoons and this popular layout is now known as one of the island’s best golf experiences. Finally, The George Fazio Course (the only public par 70 course on Hilton Head Island) offers a unique and delightful challenge throughout the round with tree-lined fairways and tight shots.

Located just minutes from Southern Pines and Pinehurst Village, nestled in the pine forest of North Carolina sits the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Resort. Here, you’ll have the option to stay in one of the resort's guestrooms or a chalet-style lodge with comfort and serenity being at the forefront of this resort.

With the award-winning Pine Needles Golf Course on-site and the Mid Pines Golf Course just over the road, and fantastic facilities throughout (an outdoor pool, grass tennis court, and a fitness center), the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club should certainly be a top choice for your next golf vacation on the East Coast.

A Donald Ross-design, the Pine Needles Golf Course is the first course in the country to be issued the hosting rights of four U.S. Women’s Open Championships. Designed in 1927, and renovated in 2007, the course features rolling hills, strategic fairway bunkering and huge pines.

Just a stone’s throw away at the resort’s sister property, the Mid Pines Golf Course is an original Donal Ross designed course. Crafted into the natural landscape, this course is visually stunning winding its way through the huge pine trees and has hosted many national competitions creating huge acclaim in the golfing community.

On the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, in Isle of Palms, you’ll find the Wild Dunes Resort. Offering some of the best vacation home and beach house rentals in the area, the beautiful location of this resort combined with the fantastic two golf courses make Wild Dunes perfect for a golfing getaway.

With Charleston just a 30-minute drive away, The Sand & Sea Spa at your fingertips, and a plethora of on-site activities including marsh kayaking, ocean fishing, water sports, biking, and tennis, there’s plenty to keep you occupied when taking a break from the courses.

In terms of golf, the Links and Harbor Courses located on-site are a must play. Both designed by Tom Fazio, each course offers a superb Lowcountry golf experience with scenic views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. As Tom Fazio’s first design, the Links Course challenges golfers of all abilities with tight rolling fairways that are surrounded by bunkers.

The Harbor Course on the other hand is known for being one of Charleston’s tightest golf courses, being set amongst stunning lagoons and salt marshes, this really is an unforgettable round. The location of this resort combined with its outstanding facilities and amenities both on and offsite make it ideal for your next golf vacation along the East Coast.