Five of the World’s Most Luxurious Beach Golf Resorts

We all enjoy doing different things while visiting some of the world’s most idyllic locations. Some of us enjoy wandering through ancient ruins, taking in architectural marvels and other cultural tidbits. Others enjoy sampling the food and wine of far-flung lands. Others still like to dance the night away in beach clubs and in coastal bars, spending their free time letting their hair down and forgetting their cares. However, for many refined travelers, there’s nothing quite so invigorating as a leisurely game of golf, and for those who enjoy improving their stroke while overseas, the idea of visiting certain world-class golfing resorts is one which is difficult to resist.

These are all places where you can work on your swing while accompanied by the gentle sound of lapping waves

There are countless golf courses across the globe, and each has something unique to offer enthusiasts of the sport. There are the windswept and verdant courses of Scotland – a must-visit country for those who wish to see where their game originated.

There are the hyper-modern golfing resorts of the Emirates, where the game is being taken to new heights as it is carved out of the shifting desert sands. There are vast courses and tiny ones, courses designed for seasoned pros, and those fit for anybody who chooses to come along. However, here, we’re interested in luxury and excellence… and as such, nothing quite beats those resorts which combine tropical beaches, pristine sands, sparkling seascapes and award-winning course design.

With that thought, let’s tee off on a journey around the world in order to look a little deeper into the most beautiful and glamorous golf beach resorts on earth. These are all places where you can work on your swing while accompanied by the gentle sound of lapping waves – it really doesn’t get much better than that!

Let’s tee off on a journey around the world

Banyan Tree, Phuket

When we think of Phuket, our minds immediately turn to teenage backpacking holidays, complete with wild beach parties and other questionable night-time behaviors. However, that’s by no means not the whole story. This renowned part of Thailand has been working tirelessly over the past decade to attract a considerably higher class of tourists, and the Banyan Tree Resort is perhaps the crowning glory of these efforts. Indeed, this resort is regularly hailed as not merely the finest in Thailand, but in all of South-East Asia – praise indeed!

The course which snakes its way through the Banyan Tree Resort is a par 74 beauty, designed by award-winning architect Paul Jansen, who claimed that he wanted to produce a golf course which blended and harmonized with the pristinely beautiful natural setting. In actual fact, his work goes above and beyond that: Jansen’s use of natural water resources makes this lush green golf resort one which is utterly awe-inspiring. The sea-dashed mountains of Phuket loom on the horizon, and natural lagoons and rainforest foliage create several amazing hazards to avoid throughout your game. It’s a place of serenity and luxury, and this is something which is more than carried over into the accommodation of the resort, also. The overall result? An exotic and wondrous thrill, of the sort that only perhaps Thailand could provide.

It doesn’t really get much more exclusive and luxurious than The Maldives

Velaa Private Island, The Maldives

If you’re looking for exclusivity and luxury for your next golfing holiday, well, it doesn’t really get much more exclusive and luxurious than The Maldives. There are several private islands dotted across the archipelago, each offering the utmost in relaxation and privacy from the hustle and bustle of the world… but only one doubles as a world-class golf resort, too.

While only a short course designed to help hone and perfect your golfing skills, Velaa has gone well out of its way to ensure a truly unforgettable experience for the golfer seeking something different from their sporting holiday. The island functions as a golf academy as well as a functioning course and luxury retreat and the attentive staff who work this far-flung spot are trained to attend to every whim of their visitors.

The best thing about this unique golf resort? Once you’ve had enough of driving and putting for the day, there’s a whole range of amazing activities just waiting for you to try them. SCUBA equipment can be hired, as well as mini-subs perfect for exploring the corals and underwater treasures which surround the island. When the day is done, it’s time to enjoy one of the region’s world-famous sunsets and to tuck into some of the finest seafood found anywhere on earth. Bliss!

Abaco Club, The Bahamas

There are few types of golf courses more popular than ‘link’ courses – these are the ones which follow a natural shoreline and weave around headlands and gently sloping beaches, resulting in an interesting and often bracing game. Link golfing is most commonly associated with the Highlands of Scotland, where temperatures rarely peek their way into double figures, and the wind and driving rain often make the sport less pleasurable than it perhaps should be. This isn’t the case at the Abaco Club, however; a link course which allows you to follow an undulating white sand beach as you sink your ball into each of its 18 holes.

You’re never more than a minute away from that perfect azure sea

Abaco Club’s golf course has been carefully designed to maximise the enjoyment of the golfer and to take them across some truly beautiful Bahamas terrain. You’re never more than a minute away from that perfect azure sea, and as you negotiate the brilliantly-designed hazards of the course, you can feast your eyes on the flawless natural display laid out before you. While the golfing is doubtlessly top-notch, this is far from the only reason the world’s elite flock to Abaco Club. The other great draw? The lobster dinners they serve, featuring the freshest shellfish caught in those same azure waters, are said to be as good as it possibly gets from a clubhouse meal.

One & Only Palmilla, Los Cabos, Mexico

Is there anywhere else in the world like Los Cabos? Endless stretches of perfect sandy beaches give way to glittering waves crashing on the shoreline, and a world-famous nightlife scene means this is a part of Mexico which simply never sleeps – it’s the perfect place for a wonderful getaway. It’s also an ideal location for golfers, too, and there are several fantastic golfing resorts along this part of the gulf. However, few can hold even the faintest of candles to One & Only Palmilla, which has long since established itself as something of a Mecca for lovers of this sport.

This beautiful resort was the first of its kind in Central and South America and boasts 27 superbly engineered holes which have a history stretching back to the 1920s. It’s been visited by a dazzling list of names over the past century, and for good reason; it’s widely considered to be one of the best kept, best designed and most enjoyable golf courses on earth. Swinging your club here is to get a taste of real New World golfing history, and to enjoy a legendary landscape dotted with swaying palm trees and golden sands.

An absolute giant of a golfing resort, with 54 holes

Fancourt, South Africa

Once you’ve finished enjoying a wild adventure safari on the African Cape, what better way to unwind than with a few rounds of golf at a resort designed by a true legend of the golfing world? That’s exactly what you’ll get at Fancourt; an impeccably elegant South African golfing resort, which celebrated course architect Gary Player claimed was the crowning achievement of his entire career.

It’s an absolute giant of a golfing resort, with 54 holes following one of the world’s most spectacular coastlines. The Fancourt golf course follows the tips of the African continent along its southernmost coastline and takes in beaches and vineyards as it undulates across its vast landscape. The hospitality on offer at Fancourt demonstrates just how far South Africa has come in regards to luxury tourism, too – the restaurants and bars truly showcase the best the country has to offer, and the suites ensure that an utterly relaxing and rejuvenating stay can be enjoyed by all who visit this wonderful part of the world.