Mention rentals, and most golfers think of scratched-up clubs, not swank accommodations. They’re missing out on an enviable alternative to the same-old stay-and-play. Often less expensive, and invariably more spacious, than hotel and resort lodging, private home rentals of the kind offered by companies like Airbnb, HomeAway and Wimdu hit the traveling golfer’s sweet spot for cost, comfort and convenience. The 9 posh spreads below, in golf-rich destinations from Scottsdale to Scotland, are just a taste of the fabulous golf pads you can book on your next group getaway.
PAWLEY’S ISLAND, S.C.
So many courses, so little time. But a good excuse to stay a while at this beachfront manse in Pawley’s Island, home of GOLF Magazine Top 100-rated Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and its terrific sister course, True Blue, and a short drive from the layout-laden Grand Strand itself.
Sleeps: 12-14; $400/night (on Airbnb)
PLAYA CONCHAL, COSTA RICA
“Pura vida,” or pure life, is a national catchphrase in Costa Rica — and a pretty good descriptor for this four-bedroom redoubt, which sits on the 4th hole of the Reserva Conchal Golf Club, a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design that looks out onto a pristine beach of the same name.
Sleeps: 8; $545/night (on Homeaway)
LA QUINTA, CALIF.
Giant flatscreen TVs. Salt-water swimming pool. Covered patio with misting system. You might never want to leave this five-bedroom custom home in La Quinta, California. Except that it sits on the 11th hole of the Weiskopf course at the heart of PGA West.
Sleeps: 10; $1,500/night (on Homeaway)
CARMEL, CALIF.
Set on 20 acres, replete with terraced gardens, hot-and-cold soaking tubs, a wood-fired sauna and herbal baths, this palatial property spreads across a hilltop with sweeping views of the Pacific. Oh, and it’s just down the road from Pebble Beach, if you like that sort of thing.
Sleeps: 8; $1,375/night (on Airbnb)
THE BIG ISLAND, HAWAII
Hawaii 5-0? Actually, this home’s got six bedrooms, along with a swimming pool, a spa and a wrap-around balcony. A 10-minute walk puts you at Mauna Kea Beach Resort. Dare we say it? Yes, we do. Book it, Dano.
Sleeps: 12; Message for quote (on Airbnb)
KEYSTONE, COLO.
Talk about the high life. Golf balls fly farther in the thin air surrounding the 36-hole Keystone Resort, where this mountain retreat sits. And your dollar goes a fair distance, too, given that the home has four bedrooms, two family rooms and five private sleeping areas, each with its own bathroom.
Sleeps: 13; $280/night (on Homeaway)
ORLANDO, FLA.
The gated development where this three-bedroom sits has a large lagoon-style pool with a water slide and hot tub. It’s also less than two miles from Disney World, so the kids can hang with Goofy while you play golf.
Sleeps: 8; $99/night (on Airbnb)
TRAVERSE CITY, MICH.
GOLF Magazine rates Traverse City the 6th-best golf destination in the country. And while we don’t rate homes, this expansive hilltop lodge, with its grand view of Lake Michigan, deserves high marks, too.
Sleeps: 15; $1,114/night (on Homeaway)
ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND
Castle Course? O.K., sure, but how about an actual castle as your accommodation, just 15 minutes from St. Andrews? Dairsie Castle is its name. It dates to the 12th and it has been the site of military sieges and secret Scottish parliamentary meetings. When you’re headed to the home of golf, any ordinary home won’t do.
Sleeps: 10; $1,197/night (on Airbnb)
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