CITYSCOPE® MAGAZINE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN® – A Guide to Several of the South’s Premier Golf Resorts
Renowned for their natural beauty, upscale amenities, and historic holes, the following resorts check all the boxes for the Southern golf enthusiast. Take advantage of their premium golf packages for a peaceful yet playful vacation – perfect your golf swing, challenge your short game, and spend sunrise to sunset on the links.
By Mary Beth Wallace
History meets luxury at The Omni Homestead Resort. Surrounded by the beautiful Allegheny Mountains, the resort’s two championship courses attract golfers of all skill levels – including former presidents Willian Howard Taft, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and George H.W. Bush. Work on your swing at The Cascades’ driving range, or improve your overall game with the help of on-site professional instructors. The resort itself, designated a National Historic Landmark, has universal appeal with offerings such as horseback riding, tennis, archery, and falconry, and its lavish hotel rooms provide the perfect place to unwind after a long day on the course.
For more than 50 years, The Sea Pines Resort has been a fixture on Hilton Head Island – a destination celebrated for its unmatched golf scene. Play all three of the premier courses, set amid stunning Lowcountry scenery, for an unforgettable golf experience; in particular, Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III, a recent reconstruction, was named NGCOA’s “National Course of the Year.” Resort guests can choose from the elegant rooms at The Inn & Club at Harbour Town, or opt for a customizable stay at The Sea Pines’ rental homes and villas.
Escape to Kiawah Island Golf Resort for a stress-free, golf-filled getaway. While guests should schedule a tee time at all five of the championship courses, The Ocean Course, with its seaside holes and panoramic views, is the main attraction. The Ocean Course was designed by Pete Dye, who, due to a lack of prevailing wind, actually designed two courses in one – one for an easterly wind and the other for a westerly wind. The resort’s Sanctuary Hotel is just 21 miles from downtown Charleston, so that historic sites, an eclectic arts scene, and award-winning restaurants are never far.
Three championship golf courses, a brand-new, 17,000-square-foot Golf Performance Center, and a picturesque Atlantic Ocean backdrop: Sea Island Resort truly is a golfer’s paradise. Its oldest course, Plantation, is being redesigned to reflect its original 1928 layout and is set to reopen in fall 2019. In the meantime, the dramatic Seaside course offers the Scottish links style of golf, while the open, playable Retreat course appeals to a broad range of competitors. For the quintessential Sea Island experience, stay at the intimate and enchanting The Lodge at Sea Island – just a stone’s throw from your next golf game.
Dubbed “The Cradle of American Golf,” this prestigious resort has hosted more golf championships than any other site in the nation. Walk in the steps of golf greats like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus as you explore the nine world-class courses, each lined with majestic pines. Pinehurst’s courses certainly deliver on variety, with Pinehurst No. 2 widely considered an architectural masterpiece, and the resort’s golf academy will inspire and improve the growing golfer. Four separate lodgings, including the stately Carolina Hotel and the charming Holly Inn, boast unique offerings and display Southern hospitality at its best.
This Renaissance Birmingham resort’s claim to fame is its 8,191-yard Ross Bridge golf course, one of the longest in the world and the crown jewel of the nationally ranked Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Ross Bridge hosted the Regions Charity Classic PGA Champions Tour tournament from 2006 to 2010, and its challenging, wide-open layout, featuring breathtaking views of the Alabama hills, awaits avid golfers. Back at the resort’s towering hotel, constructed to emulate a Scottish castle, guests are treated to upscale dining and a full-service spa. SG
