| Call them the best of the best, the elite, or the Green | | | | Wild Wing and Tidewater. Learn at |
| Berets of U.S. golf cities. | | | | 5. Orlando, Florida |
| The ten cities on this list all have one thing common. | | | | Orlando conjures images of Disney World, Universal |
| They occur on more top-ten golf destination lists than | | | | Studios and similar attractions. But it also attracts |
| all other cities in the U.S. How do I know this? By way | | | | plenty of golfers to its more than 20 courses. Popular |
| of research ... lots of tedious, time-consuming but totally | | | | stops include Orange County National, Bay Hill and |
| thorough research. | | | | Disney. Where else can you golf with Mickey Mouse? |
| Building the Ultimate List | | | | Learn more at |
| I began the process by gathering all the lists of popular | | | | 6. Palm Springs, California |
| U.S. golf destinations I could find. This journey led me | | | | If you like the idea of golfing on lush green courses |
| from to Golf Digest, from travel websites to sports | | | | with plenty of palm trees and a backdrop of rugged |
| websites and everything in between. I read lists by | | | | mountains, Palm Springs is the place for you. Within the |
| golfers, journalists, travelers and even historians. | | | | Coachella Valley, there are more than 100 courses. |
| The Envelope Please | | | | According to GolfDigest.com, "PGA West, La Quinta |
| When the dust settled, I had 15 lists of popular golf | | | | and Mission Hills North are the three big resorts in |
| destinations in the country. Then I began | | | | town." Learn more at |
| cross-referencing to determine which cities occurred | | | | 7. Phoenix / Scottsdale, Arizona |
| on the most lists. So here you have the best of the | | | | I'm aware that Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona are |
| best ... the elite ... the ten most popular golf cities in the | | | | two different cities. But they're so close to one another |
| United States. | | | | - and they appeared together on so many lists - that I |
| (I've listed these cities alphabetically, because anything | | | | felt they deserved to share a spot in my top ten. The |
| else would have required way too much math.) | | | | desert landscape alone is worth a trip. Add to that the |
| 1. Hilton Head, South Carolina | | | | abundance of world-class golf courses, and you have |
| The readers of Golf Digest put South Carolina's Hilton | | | | a desert paradise for any avid golfer. Learn more at |
| Head Island at number 10 on a list of the world's best | | | | 8. Pinehurst, North Carolina |
| resorts. Do I really need to say any more than that? | | | | Yes, we're back in the Carolinas again. I'm not biased |
| Okay, here's more. You can choose from more than | | | | or anything - the Carolinas just come up on a lot of |
| 20 golf courses that wind around marshes, lakes and | | | | lists. Pinehurst is both a resort and a village. The |
| lagoons. For more information, visit | | | | website explains: "Pinehurst, the resort, is a wonderful |
| 2. Las Vegas, Nevada | | | | collection of historic hotels and eight world-class golf |
| Say "Las Vegas" to most people, and gambling usually | | | | courses that is widely considered one of the top golf |
| comes to mind. But Las Vegas is also a premier golf | | | | destinations in the world. Pinehurst, the Village, is a |
| destination with more than two-dozen courses. Popular | | | | quaint New England style town..." Learn more at |
| choices include Reflection Bay, Royal Links and The | | | | 9. San Diego, California |
| Canyons. Just be mindful of the time of year -- if you | | | | I lived in San Diego for three years, so I can vouch that |
| travel there in the summer, you can expect | | | | the city is worth a visit. Whether you go for the golf, |
| temperatures over 100. For more information, visit | | | | the sightseeing or a combination of the two, San Diego |
| 3. Maui, Hawaii | | | | won't disappoint. San Diego County has excellent |
| Aside from the lush beauty one normally associates | | | | weather year-round, allowing for plenty of golf days on |
| with Maui, the Hawaiian island also offers the state's | | | | any of the county's 80+ golf courses. Torrey Pines |
| only 54-hole courses, Wailea and Kapalua. According | | | | and La Costa are popular stops. Learn more at |
| to VisitMaui.com, there's plenty of availability to go | | | | 10. Williamsburg, Virginia |
| around: "Although Maui hosts several well-known | | | | If you're a history buff as well as a golfer, put |
| professional tournaments tee times are rarely hard to | | | | Williamsburg, Virginia on this year's trip roster. Colonial |
| come by." Learn more at | | | | Williamsburg is a living history museum that lets you |
| 4. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | | | | step back in time to the days of the Revolutionary |
| I went on family trips to Myrtle Beach each year for | | | | War. And when you're ready to step onto the green, |
| over a decade. I recall how eager my siblings and I | | | | you'll find more than a dozen top-rated courses to |
| would be to play a round of Jungle Golf, miniature golf | | | | accommodate you. Stonehouse, Royal New Kent and |
| with all the animal props you could shake a club at. But | | | | Kingsmill are popular stops. Learn more at |
| Myrtle Beach has plenty of golf for "big kids," too. | | | | * You may republish this article online if you retain the |
| Popular courses include The Legends, Grand Dunes, | | | | active hyperlinks below. |