Luxury golf vacations buy three things an ordinary trip can’t: access to courses that limit outside play, guaranteed tee times, and a week where someone else handles every detail. In 2026 that means $695 a round at Pebble Beach plus a two-night stay, $1,250 at Shadow Creek, about $10,000 for a week-long golf cruise, and $145,000 or more for a private-jet circuit.
Most golf trips are a negotiation between what you want and what you can get. You want the Old Course on Tuesday; the ballot gives you the Eden on Thursday. You want Pebble Beach at 9 a.m.; the tee sheet offers 3:40 p.m., if you’re lucky, two days before. Luxury golf travel is, at its core, the business of removing that negotiation. You pay for the room that unlocks the tee time, the operator who holds the guaranteed slot, the driver who knows the back way to Carnoustie, and, at the very top, the plane.
That doesn’t mean every expensive trip is worth the money. Some luxury packages are mostly markup on things you could book yourself. Others are the only way to play a course at all. This page sorts one from the other. It covers what luxury golf travel actually buys, what it costs in 2026, the great luxury golf resorts and the most expensive rounds, golf cruises and private-jet tours, and how to get most of the experience for a lot less. It’s the hub for our luxury golf guides, so each section points to a deeper page when you need one.
Prices come from course and resort websites, official booking pages and dated reports, and we say which is which. Converted prices use $1.35 per pound and $1.16 per euro, the January 1, 2026 rates we use across the site.
At a glance
- What you’re paying for: access, guaranteed tee times, caddies and service, five-star lodging, and logistics such as drivers, transfers and private aviation.
- Most expensive public rounds (2026): Shadow Creek in Las Vegas at $1,250 for MGM Resorts hotel guests; Turnberry’s Ailsa at up to £1,000 (about $1,350) for non-residents at peak times; TPC Sawgrass at $775; Pebble Beach at $695.
- Guests-only courses: Pinehurst No. 2 (resort guests, from $495), Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo ($400 plus tax), Sea Island and Shadow Creek.
- Golf cruises: about $10,000 per person for a 10-day Riviera golf cruise on a small ship; river-cruise golf programs from a $700 deposit.
- Private-jet tours: TCS World Travel’s golf circuit was listed at $153,000 per person in 2023; its 2027 round-the-world jet journeys cost $145,000 to $175,000.
- Where it’s worth it: guests-only courses, guaranteed tee times at St Andrews and Pebble Beach, big groups and anyone who hates logistics.
- Where it isn’t: destinations you can book yourself, like the Algarve, Scottsdale or Myrtle Beach.
What makes a golf vacation luxury?
A luxury golf vacation gets you onto courses ordinary visitors can’t easily play, at times you choose, with the hard parts handled for you. That usually means a five-star resort stay that unlocks guest-only tee times, caddies, drivers or private transfers, and sometimes guaranteed rounds bought through an operator, a cruise or a private jet.
Strip away the marketing and luxury golf travel buys five things:
- Access. Some of the world’s best courses are for resort guests only, or give guests priority. Pinehurst No. 2 is for resort guests on a package. Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo is for resort guests only. Shadow Creek in Las Vegas is for guests of MGM Resorts hotels. Sea Island’s courses are for resort guests. Adare Manor in Ireland restricted golf to hotel residents in 2026. For these, the room isn’t optional; it’s the price of the green fee.
- Guaranteed tee times. At Pebble Beach, resort guests can book ahead, while everyone else gets whatever is left a day or two before. At St Andrews, the surest way to lock in an Old Course round months ahead is a package through an authorized operator, at a premium, rather than the ballot.
- Caddies and service. A great caddie, a valet who cleans your clubs, a locker room attendant who has your shoes ready. At the top end, these are included or arranged for you.
- Lodging. Five-star hotels and lodges next to the first tee: The Lodge at Pebble Beach, the Old Course Hotel, Gleneagles, Turnberry, Adare Manor, the lodges at Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand.
- Logistics. A driver-guide for a week in Ireland, transfers between airports and courses, and, at the very top, helicopters and private jets that turn two days of travel into two hours.
Everything else, from the gift bags to the welcome dinner, is decoration. When you compare luxury packages, compare these five things.
The great luxury golf resorts
These are the resorts where the luxury trip and the golf trip are the same thing. Prices are 2026 figures from the resorts or dated reports:
| Resort | Where | 2026 price marker | Access rule | Why it’s luxury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pebble Beach Resorts | California | Pebble Beach Golf Links $695 | Guests book ahead (2-night minimum); others a day or two out | The most famous public course in America, with The Lodge on the 18th |
| Pinehurst Resort | North Carolina | No. 2 $495–$695 | No. 2 for resort guests on a package | Eleven courses and a village built around golf |
| Shadow Creek | Las Vegas | $1,250 | Guests of MGM Resorts hotels | A hidden oasis with a limo ride from the Strip |
| TPC Sawgrass | Florida | $775 (Sept–May), with cart, forecaddie and range | Lodging guests book up to 12 months ahead; others 14 days | The island-green 17th and the Players Championship |
| Sea Island | Georgia | Check the resort | Resort guests only | Old-school Southern luxury on the coast |
| Casa de Campo | Dominican Republic | Teeth of the Dog $400 plus 18% tax | Resort guests only | The Caribbean’s best course, with caddies required |
| Turnberry | Scotland | Ailsa up to £1,000 (about $1,350) | Non-resident rates highest at peak times | A lighthouse, the Ailsa and a five-star hotel |
| Adare Manor | Ireland | €550 for hotel residents in 2026 | Residents only in 2026; packages for 2027 | The 2027 Ryder Cup host, in a Gothic manor |
| Cabot Cape Breton | Nova Scotia | CA$450 (about $330) peak | Guests get priority; non-guests 14 days ahead | Canada’s best golf, at a relative bargain |
| Cape Kidnappers | New Zealand | About NZ$739 (about $425) in high season | Lodge guests get the easiest times | Clifftop golf with a luxury lodge |
Two things stand out. The first is that the American resorts are the most expensive per round, by a distance. The second is that the most exclusive experiences, such as Pinehurst No. 2, Shadow Creek and Teeth of the Dog, aren’t expensive because of the green fee alone; they’re expensive because the green fee comes with a room.
Our best golf resorts in the US ranking compares the American resorts in more detail, and our bucket-list golf courses guide covers the famous courses you can actually play, at every price.
What is the most expensive golf course to play?
Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, at $1,250 in 2026 for guests of MGM Resorts hotels, is the most expensive regularly bookable round in America. Turnberry’s Ailsa in Scotland is reported at up to £1,000 (about $1,350) for non-residents at peak times. TPC Sawgrass ($775) and Pebble Beach ($695) follow.
The most expensive public and resort rounds we could confirm for 2026:
| Course | 2026 price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shadow Creek, Las Vegas | $1,250 | MGM Resorts hotel guests only; includes the course’s famous seclusion |
| Turnberry Ailsa, Scotland | Up to £1,000 (about $1,350) | Non-resident peak-morning rate; sources disagree on other tiers, so check |
| TPC Sawgrass Stadium, Florida | $775 (Sept–May); $550 (June–Aug) | Includes cart, forecaddie and range |
| Whistling Straits, Wisconsin | Roughly $650–$765 in peak season | Secondary sources disagree; plus a $90 caddie fee |
| Pebble Beach Golf Links, California | $695 | Plus lodging if you want to book ahead |
| Pinehurst No. 2, North Carolina | $495–$695 | Resort guests on a package |
| Adare Manor, Ireland | €550 (about $640) | Hotel residents only in 2026 |
Shadow Creek deserves a word. Steve Wynn built it in the late 1980s by turning a flat patch of desert north of Las Vegas into a forested valley with streams and hills, and it’s still hidden behind walls. The round traditionally comes with a limousine from your hotel, and it’s quiet in a way Las Vegas never is. Whether it’s worth $1,250 depends on how much you value the story; as golf, there are better courses for less.
The most exclusive courses aren’t on this list because you can’t buy a round at all: Augusta National, Pine Valley, Cypress Point and Tara Iti need a member. Our guides to the most expensive golf courses and the most exclusive golf clubs cover both lists.
How much does a luxury golf vacation cost?
A luxury golf vacation usually starts around $3,500 per golfer before flights for a premium resort weekend and runs to $7,500 or more for a bucket-list trip abroad, by JEL Golf Travel’s 2026 figures. Golf cruises cost about $10,000 per person, and private-jet golf tours $145,000 or more.
Here’s what the tiers look like in practice:
| Tier | Example | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Premium US resort | Three or four nights at a top US golf resort | About $1,800–$3,500+ per golfer before flights (JEL Golf Travel, 2026) |
| Bucket-list US trip | Two nights and two rounds at Pebble Beach | About $2,850–$3,300+ per golfer with flights, by our estimate |
| Bucket-list abroad | A week in Ireland or Scotland with famous links and good hotels | About $5,000–$9,000+ per golfer with flights; more with a driver and five-star hotels |
| Golf cruise | A 10-day small-ship Riviera golf cruise | About $10,000 per person |
| Private jet | A three-week golf circuit of the world | $153,000 per person (2023 listing); 2027 jet journeys $145,000–$175,000 |
Where the money goes on a luxury trip is predictable: lodging first, then green fees, then logistics. At Pebble Beach, two nights in the cheapest room cost more than the round, and the minimum stay for advance booking is two nights. At Turnberry and Adare Manor, the hotel is the experience. In Scotland and Ireland, a driver-guide for a week is often the single biggest line after green fees, and the one most groups say was worth it.
Our golf trip cost guide breaks down every tier, line by line.
Luxury golf in the US: the bucket-list resort weekend
In America, a luxury golf trip usually means a long weekend at one of a handful of resorts where the hotel, the golf and the tee-time rules come as a package. The best-known:
- Pebble Beach. The Lodge at Pebble Beach sits beside the 18th green, and staying there, at the Inn at Spanish Bay or at Casa Palmero is what lets you book Pebble Beach Golf Links ahead, with a two-night minimum (three nights from Thursday to Sunday in September to November). Guests have been reported booking up to 18 months ahead; non-guests get whatever is left a day or two before. In 2026, the round cost $695, a cart about $60 per player, and a caddie about $155 for a single bag or $210 for a double, before the tip. Spyglass Hill and The Links at Spanish Bay round out a long weekend.
- Pinehurst. The Carolina Hotel and its sister properties are the way onto No. 2, which is reserved for resort guests on a package. Eleven courses, a walkable village and the Pinehurst Golf Academy make it the most complete golf resort in the country.
- Sea Island. The Cloister and The Lodge on Georgia’s coast, with courses for resort guests only, and service in the old Southern style.
- TPC Sawgrass. Lodging guests can book the Stadium Course up to 12 months ahead, against 14 days for everyone else, and the $775 green fee from September to May includes a cart, a forecaddie and the range.
- Shadow Creek. The round, at $1,250 for guests of MGM Resorts hotels, traditionally comes with a limousine ride from the Strip.
What to expect for the money: a room overlooking the golf, caddies who know every putt, a tee time you chose, and dinners that cost as much as the green fee. What not to expect: a bargain. At Pebble Beach, two nights in the cheapest room cost more than the round.
Our Pebble Beach golf trip and Pinehurst golf trip guides cover how to book both, and what a weekend costs.
Luxury golf in Scotland and Ireland
Britain and Ireland are where luxury golf travel makes the most sense, because the logistics are hard and the best tee times are scarce. A well-run luxury trip there looks something like this: a driver-guide meets you at the airport, your bags and clubs go into a van, and for the next week you play famous links at times someone else secured months ago, staying in hotels with views of the 18th green.
The great luxury bases:
- St Andrews. The Old Course Hotel sits beside the 17th, the Road Hole, and is the obvious five-star base for the home of golf. Getting onto the Old Course is the hard part, and luxury packages through authorized operators are the surest way to lock in a round months ahead.
- Gleneagles. Scotland’s grand golf hotel in Perthshire, with three courses, including the PGA Centenary Course, which hosted the 2014 Ryder Cup, and the James Braid-designed King’s Course.
- Turnberry. The lighthouse, the Ailsa course and a five-star hotel on the Ayrshire coast, with green fees reported at up to £1,000 (about $1,350) for non-residents at peak times.
- Adare Manor. The Gothic manor house in County Limerick that hosts the 2027 Ryder Cup. In 2026, golf was for hotel residents only, at €550 (about $640) a round, and for 2027, access has been offered through exclusive packages reported at around €7,500.
The other luxury in Scotland and Ireland is time. A good operator spaces the rounds so you’re not driving three hours between courses, builds in the famous links on the days the weather tends to be kindest, and has a plan B when the wind is too strong to play. That’s worth more than any gift bag.
Our golf trip to Scotland guide covers how the Old Course ballot and guaranteed tee times work, and our golf trip to Ireland guide covers Adare Manor, the Ryder Cup year and the rising cost of the famous links.
Lodges at the end of the world: luxury golf further afield
Some of the most memorable luxury golf trips are to places where the lodge is as famous as the course:
- New Zealand. Cape Kidnappers on Hawke’s Bay and Kauri Cliffs in Northland pair clifftop golf with luxury lodges, and lodge guests get the easiest access to tee times. A week split between the two, with a few days of wine country in between, is one of the great golf trips in the world.
- The Caribbean. At Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic, the courses are for resort guests only, and villa guests paid $550 for Teeth of the Dog in 2026 against $400 for hotel guests, with caddies required. Cabot’s resort in Saint Lucia adds a newer, clifftop option.
- Mexico. Mayakoba, on the Riviera Maya, surrounds El Camaleón, a former PGA Tour venue, with several luxury resorts; Mayakoba guests paid $375 for a prime-time round in 2026.
- Canada. Cabot Cape Breton is the relative bargain of the luxury world, at CA$450 (about $330) for a peak resort-guest round, with rooms looking over the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Our guide to the best international golf destinations compares these and the other long-haul trips by flight time, cost and season.
Golf cruises: how they work
A golf cruise is the most relaxed way to play several countries in a week: you unpack once, and the ship carries you from one course to the next. There are three very different kinds, and it’s worth knowing which one you’re buying.
1. Small-ship golf cruises. Specialist operators charter or book small luxury ships and build the itinerary around golf. Kalos Golf, which says it pioneered the golf cruise in 1997, runs about a dozen a year. Its 2027 calendar includes a Caribbean golf-and-culture cruise on the sailing ship Sea Cloud II in January, Riviera cruises in May and September, and cruises along the coast of Spain, through Bordeaux, Normandy, Great Britain, the British Isles, the Rhine, the Iberian Peninsula, the Adriatic and Sicily. Its 10-day Riviera golf cruise was listed at about $10,000 per passenger, starting with two nights at Terre Blanche near Cannes and rounds at Terre Blanche and Golf de Cannes-Mougins before sailing past Saint-Tropez, Monte Carlo, the Cinque Terre, Corsica and Sardinia to Rome. PerryGolf runs a Caribbean golf cruise aboard Azamara Journey, departing Bridgetown on December 12, 2026, with six nights, three rounds and five islands.
2. River cruises with golf programs. AmaWaterways adds golf to two of its European river cruises, “Impressions of the Seine & Paris” (May to September in 2026, May to October in 2027) and “Magna on the Danube” (April to September in 2026, April to October in 2027). Golfers play one round at each of up to five courses, with a shared cart, a range token, lunch with beer and wine, Mercedes transfers and club care, in place of the regular shore excursions on golf days. The golf program needs a $700 non-refundable deposit per person. It suits a couple where one partner plays and the other wants Paris or Vienna.
3. Golf on big cruise ships. Mainstream cruise ships offer golf on board and in port. Celebrity’s Apex and Beyond are reported to carry TrackMan simulators you can book by the hour, and Oceania’s Marina and Riviera have putting greens and practice nets; check with the cruise line before you count on them. Shore-excursion golf, where the cruise line or an outside company books you a tee time at a port, is common in the Caribbean, Bermuda and Hawaii.
Our guides to golf cruises, golf cruises in Europe, golf on cruise ships and the Caribbean golf cruise cover each type, with itineraries, prices and booking tips.
Are golf cruises worth it?
Yes for couples with a non-golfer, and for golfers who’d rather unpack once and see several countries than play 36 holes a day. No for serious golfers chasing the most rounds or the best links, because a cruise usually means three to five rounds a week, at times set by the ship’s schedule.
The trade-offs, honestly:
- For: one unpacking, a new port most mornings, good food and wine every night, and a partner who’s happy whether or not they play. The specialist cruises also take care of transfers, clubs and tee times.
- Against: fewer rounds than a land trip, tee times dictated by the ship’s schedule, and the risk that weather or a port change wipes out a round. The courses are often very good resort courses rather than the world’s greatest.
- Watch for: what’s included. On a specialist golf cruise, most golf is in the price. On a river cruise, golf is an add-on with its own deposit. On a big ship, shore-excursion golf can be expensive for what you get.
If the trip is really about golf, a land trip will give you more and better rounds for the money. If it’s about a shared vacation with golf in it, a golf cruise is hard to beat.
Private-jet golf tours
At the very top of the market, private-jet golf tours fly a small group around the world, playing famous courses on several continents in about three weeks. TCS World Travel has run a “Golf Around the World” journey with Kalos Golf since 2014, aboard a private Airbus A321 operated by Titan Airways. The 21-day January 2026 edition visited Hawaii, Australia and Morocco among other stops, and a 2027 edition was listed. Its 2023 golf circuit was priced at $153,000 per person, all-inclusive. TCS’s 2027 round-the-world jet journeys, without the golf focus, cost $145,000 for 18 days and $175,000 for 25 days. Four Seasons runs its own private-jet journeys too.
What that buys is time and smoothness: no airport lines, no connections, luxury hotels at every stop, guaranteed tee times at courses you couldn’t otherwise reach in one trip, and a group of like-minded travelers. Whether it’s worth it depends entirely on how much the money matters to you.
Closer to home, a private charter for a group is more practical than it sounds. Several of the best North American golf resorts are a long way from a big airport, and a charter into a small regional airport can turn a day of connections into a short flight. Fox Harb’r in Nova Scotia has its own airstrip, and many groups heading to remote resorts like Bandon Dunes or Cabot charter in. Split eight ways, the cost per person can be lower than you’d expect, so it’s worth getting a quote.
Our private jet golf tours guide covers the round-the-world trips, group charters and what each costs.
Is a luxury golf tour operator worth it?
Often, yes, for trips where access is scarce: guaranteed Old Course times, the Open-rotation courses in a busy year, Ireland’s famous links in the Ryder Cup year, or a large group. For destinations you can book yourself, like the Algarve, Scottsdale or Myrtle Beach, an operator mostly adds a markup.
What a good luxury operator does:
- Secures the tee times. The hardest part of a Scotland or Ireland trip, and the reason most people use one.
- Routes the trip so the drives are short and the famous courses fall on sensible days.
- Books the right hotels, often with rooms you can’t find online.
- Provides a driver-guide, which turns a stressful drive on the left into a week of being driven.
- Fixes problems, from lost clubs to a closed course, before you know they exist.
What it costs. For Ireland, our research suggests operator trips run about 25% more than doing it yourself, and the premium is similar elsewhere. On a $6,000 trip, that’s about $1,500 per golfer. For a group of eight that would otherwise spend months on email, it’s often money well spent. For four friends heading to Portugal, it isn’t.
Questions to ask before you pay a deposit:
- Which tee times are confirmed, and which are requested?
- Who is the driver, and are they a golf specialist?
- Which hotels, exactly, and what room category?
- What’s included: caddies, tips, transfers, lunches?
- What happens if a course closes or the weather cancels a round?
- What’s the cancellation policy, and is it insured?
Our escorted golf tours guide compares operator-led and hosted trips, and what each kind includes.
What luxury can’t buy
It’s worth being clear about the limits, because the brochures won’t be.
The weather. No amount of money keeps the rain off Turnberry or the wind off the Old Course. A luxury trip to Scotland or Ireland is still a trip to Scotland or Ireland, and the best operators plan for bad days rather than promising good ones.
An empty course. The famous courses are busy because they’re famous. Pebble Beach in peak season can mean a round of five hours or more, and paying $695 doesn’t move the group in front. If pace matters to you, ask for the first time of the day or travel in the shoulder season.
Your game. A $1,250 round at Shadow Creek is still 18 holes of your own swing. Some golfers find the price adds pressure rather than pleasure. If that’s you, spend the money on the lodging, the caddie and the dinner, and play the course that suits your game.
Jet lag. Private jets shorten the journey but don’t change the time zones. Build a light first day into any long-haul trip, however you fly.
Every tee time. Some courses, including private clubs such as Augusta National and Pine Valley, aren’t for sale at any price. Be wary of anyone who says otherwise.
Luxury golf for less: getting 80% of the experience
You don’t need to spend Shadow Creek money to have a luxury golf trip. A few tactics get most of the experience for much less:
- Stay one night to unlock the tee time. At resorts where guests get priority, a single night on property, if the rules allow it, can secure the round. Then move to a cheaper hotel nearby.
- Go in the shoulder season. Cabot Cape Breton’s late-season midweek rate is CA$220 (about $160), less than half its peak rate. Bandon Dunes costs resort guests $130 in December and January.
- Use replay rates. Bandon and Cabot charge half price for a same-day second round.
- Play the neighbor. The Irish Course at Whistling Straits, Spyglass Hill at Pebble Beach and the courses around St Andrews give you most of the setting for less.
- Book the caddie, not the operator. For a small group heading somewhere you can book online, a great caddie on the famous round adds more than a package does.
- Pick your one splurge. Plan the trip around one bucket-list round, and keep the rest of the week in good, sensible hotels.
Every guide to luxury golf travel
This page is the hub. Each guide below covers one kind of luxury golf trip in depth.
Golf cruises
- Golf cruises: how they work, who runs them and what they cost
- Golf cruises in Europe: the Riviera, Spain, Bordeaux, the British Isles and the rivers
- Golf on cruise ships: simulators, putting greens and golf in port
- Caribbean golf cruise: island-hopping golf by ship
Private aviation and tours
- Private jet golf tours: round-the-world circuits and group charters
- Escorted golf tours: hosted and operator-led trips, and when they’re worth it
The most expensive and exclusive
- Most expensive public golf courses in the US: Shadow Creek, TPC Sawgrass, Pebble Beach and more
- Most exclusive golf clubs in the world: the private clubs you need a member to play
Frequently asked questions
What is a luxury golf vacation?
A golf trip built around access, convenience and five-star lodging: tee times at courses that limit outside play, often secured by staying at the resort or booking through an operator, plus caddies, transfers and hotels next to the course. At the top end it includes helicopters, private jets or a golf cruise.
What is the most expensive golf course to play in the US?
Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, at $1,250 in 2026 for guests of MGM Resorts hotels. TPC Sawgrass charges $775 from September to May, and Pebble Beach Golf Links $695 from April 2026, with a two-night stay needed to book ahead.
How much does a luxury golf trip cost?
From about $3,500 per golfer before flights for a premium US resort trip, and $5,000 to $9,000 or more with flights for a top-tier week in Ireland or Scotland. Golf cruises cost about $10,000 per person, and private-jet golf tours $145,000 or more.
Are golf cruises worth it?
For couples with a non-golfer, and for golfers who’d rather see several countries than play every day, yes. A golf cruise usually means three to five rounds a week at times set by the ship. Serious golfers chasing the best courses will get more from a land trip.
How do golf cruises work?
Specialist small-ship cruises build the itinerary around golf, with tee times, transfers and clubs handled. River cruises such as AmaWaterways’ Seine and Danube itineraries add a golf program, with up to five rounds. Big cruise ships offer simulators, putting greens and shore-excursion golf in port.
Can you guarantee a tee time on the Old Course?
Not through the ballot, which is a lottery. The surest way to guarantee an Old Course round months ahead is a package through an authorized tour operator, at a premium, usually with lodging and other rounds included.
Is Pinehurst No. 2 only for resort guests?
Yes. Pinehurst No. 2 is reserved for resort guests, typically on a package with a two-night minimum, with 2026 green fees of $495 to $695 according to The Birdie Report. Several other Pinehurst courses are open to non-guests.
Is a luxury golf tour operator worth the money?
For scarce tee times in Scotland and Ireland, large groups, and anyone who doesn’t want to drive or plan, often yes, at a premium of roughly 25% over booking yourself. For easy destinations you can book online, like Portugal or Scottsdale, usually not.
What is the most luxurious golf resort in the world?
There’s no single answer, but the usual names include Pebble Beach, Gleneagles, Turnberry, Adare Manor, Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand, and Sea Island in Georgia. Each pairs famous golf with five-star lodging.
When should you book a luxury golf trip?
As early as you can, especially for Scotland, Ireland and Pebble Beach. Resort guests at Pebble Beach have been reported booking up to 18 months ahead, Ireland’s famous links sold out a year or more ahead for 2027, and the best operator slots at St Andrews go early. Golf cruises often sell out a year out.
Do luxury golf packages include flights?
Usually not. Most luxury golf packages and cruises include lodging, golf, transfers and some meals, but not international flights, which you book separately. Private-jet tours are the exception: the flying is the point, and it’s included in the price.
How much is a private jet golf tour?
TCS World Travel’s three-week “Golf Around the World” by private jet was listed at $153,000 per person, all-inclusive, in 2023, and its 2027 round-the-world jet journeys cost $145,000 to $175,000. A group charter to a remote resort can cost far less per person.
Sources
Primary sources and official pages, checked September and October 2026.
- AmaWaterways, golf program: amawaterways.com
- Pebble Beach Resorts: pebblebeach.com
- Pinehurst Resort: pinehurst.com
- UK Government, Electronic Travel Authorisation for Scotland trips: gov.uk
- Also consulted: Kalos Golf’s 2026 and 2027 golf-cruise schedule and a Vanderbilt alumni travel listing for its Riviera cruise; PerryGolf’s Caribbean golf cruise listing; TCS World Travel’s private-jet listings and Luxury Travel Advisor’s coverage of its 2027 journeys; Cruise Critic on golf aboard cruise ships; The Golf News Net on Pebble Beach and Shadow Creek; The Birdie Report on Pinehurst No. 2; JEL Golf Travel’s 2026 trip-cost tiers; The Irish Times on Adare Manor.
Image credits
| Image | Credit and license |
|---|---|
| Golfcannesmougins (featured) | Photo by yourgolftravel.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Adare Grounds | Photo by bhenak, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Pebble Beach Lodge sign, 17-Mile Drive | Photo by Rick from Boulder, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| The Exclusive and Well-Hidden Shadow Creek Golf Course, Las Vegas, Nevada on Flight Between Las Vegas, Nevada and Baltimore, Maryland (7235096790) | Photo by Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Turnberry Lighthouse | Photo by Ian Dick from Glasgow, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Gleneagles Golf Course – geograph.org.uk – 6662209 | Photo by Les Hull, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |