Golf Resorts for the Whole Family
A great way to get your kid interested in learning the game of golf is to take them to one of the many family-friendly golf resorts that are becoming more popular. The trick is to find a destination that has lots of other activities that appeal to everyone in the family. It also helps to find a place that isn’t so expensive that your family can’t participate in most of the fun.
Of the 10 resort communities on the island, Palmetto Dunes was rated the "Number One Family Resort in the United States and Canada" by Travel + Leisure Family magazine, the Hilton Oceanfront Resort was ranked among its Top 10 Family Resorts by Forbes magazine, and Golf For Women magazine recognized Palmetto Dunes as one of the "Top 25 Best Family Golf Resorts." Palmetto Dunes has three golf courses, each one distinctly different and challenging. The Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront course has junior tees (2,625 yards), which makes this an ideal spot to take kids who are itching to play. The greens fees for adults are $65-$139 and junior rates are 50 percent off; kids under 10 play free. How’s that for a bargain! The George Fazio course and the Arthur Hills course are the two other courses. The Hilton Head Marriott Resort and Spa and the Hilton Oceanfront Resort are located in Palmetto Dunes; you may also be able to find a great deal on a vacation home or condo rental. Golf packages are available for the 3 Palmetto Dunes courses as well as the other island courses. If you’d really like to splurge and play a course on the PGA tour, take your junior golfer to play Harbour Town Golf Links. Although $295 a round isn’t horrible by California and Hawaii standards, they do offer a discount junior fee along with twilight fees. This is a gorgeous course, just watch out for the ‘gators!
Speaking of Hawaii, if you want to take your family to a destination guaranteed to please everyone, plan a trip to our country’s 50th state. While there are beautiful golf courses on all the Hawaiian islands, make sure to check out family friendly Maui. While there are many incredible experiences to be had in Maui – do NOT miss snorkeling with your family at the Molokini crater just off the south shore – there are many opportunities to golf as a family there too.
We like staying at the Grand Wailea. It’s a very large resort; the Wailea Canyon Activity Pool complex offers a river that carries swimmers along at varying speeds, from whitewater rapids to lazy currents, four jungle pools, four tile slides, a whitewater rapids slide, a Tarzan pool with rope swing, the world's only water elevator, a sand beach, six waterfalls, caves, three Jacuzzis, an infant pool, and a swim-up bar and is so much fun for kids of every age! While greens fees can be quite steep on Maui, we’ve found that you will get a price break if you play at your hotel’s course. Wailea resort guests have 3 courses to choose from and the junior rates are in the $65 - $90 range depending on what season you are there. A great southern shore golf option is Makena Golf Course. Non-resort guest rates are lower than other area rates and the course is top-notch. Maui’s best buy for budget golfer is North Shore’s Waiehu Municipal Golf Course. Greens fees and much more reasonable than anywhere else on the island, but because of that, it may be tough to get a tee time.
Check out these other resorts that also made Travel & Leisure Golf’s list of Best Golf Resorts for Family Trips: Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club, Sunriver Resort, Pebble Beach Resorts, Lodge at Torrey Pines, The Broadmoor, Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch, The Phoenician Resort, The Lodge of Four Seasons Golf Resort, Boyne Highlands Resort, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, Walt Disney World Resort, Amelia Island Plantation, Villas of Grand Cypress Golf Resort, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Sea Island Resort, Sea Pines Resort, Hershey Resorts, Kingsmill Resort and Spa, The Greenbriar, and, another
one of our all-time favorites, Pinehurst Resort.
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If you really want to splurge, play Kapalua’s Plantation Course, the site of the PGA Tour SBS Championship. Junior fees are $85 for both resort and non-resort guests. The Kapalua Resort also features the Bay Course which is shorter, less expensive ($70 for juniors) and features junior tees on the front nine which can be played for free after 2:30 with a paid adult guest. Juniors can play both courses for a twilight (after 3:30) rate of $35. This is a great deal for juniors to play some of the most beautiful courses around!
