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Orca Travel Collection
Coastal links golf course beside the ocean

The Orca Golf Series

The World's Top Golf Resorts

13 bookable golf destinations, from Pebble Beach to St Andrews: who can play, what it really costs, caddie and tipping rules, and when to go. Every figure is checked against the official source.

Facts checked as of Oct 25, 2026 (PT)

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How we chose

We started from two Golf Digest rankings (America's 100 Greatest Public Courses and World's 100 Greatest Courses) and the major-championship record, then kept only places a traveler can actually book. That means public or visitor access with on-site or partner lodging. Pebble Beach, Kapalua and Torrey Pines were requested.

  • US: a course in the top 40 of Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26, at a resort you can stay at, or a men's major / Ryder Cup venue.
  • Outside the US: a course in the top 50 of Golf Digest's World's 100 Greatest Courses 2026-27 that takes visitors.
  • No sponsorships, no affiliate links, no paid placement.

Left out despite ranking highly: Shadow Creek (No. 3) and Bethpage Black (No. 7), which are standalone courses, not resorts with stay-and-play, and Royal County Down (world No. 1), not researched for this edition (a candidate to add alongside Royal Portrush). Mauna Kea (No. 43), Sea Island Seaside (No. 45) and The Broadmoor East (No. 47) fall outside our top-40 cut.

golfdigest.comgolfdigest.com

US West Coast

Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines and Bandon Dunes

Pebble Beach Resorts

Pebble Beach, California, USA

  • Pebble Beach Golf Links

    No. 1, Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26

  • Spyglass Hill

    No. 13, Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26

Pebble Beach Golf Links, resort guest (cart included): $695

Golf day cost: $695–$970 per golfer for a round on Pebble Beach Golf Links (resort guest): green fee alone, up to green fee + single caddie $175 + $100 tip. Plus at least 2 nights' lodging (rate unknown).

See the full guide

Torrey Pines Golf Course

La Jolla, San Diego, California, USA

  • South Course

    No. 40, Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26

  • North Course

South, non-resident, Mon–Thu: $258

Golf day cost: $308–$420 per non-resident golfer on the South Course: weekday green fee $258 + $50 booking fee, up to weekend $322 + $50 booking fee + $48 cart.

See the full guide

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

Bandon, Oregon, USA

  • Pacific Dunes

    No. 2, Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26

  • Bandon Dunes

    No. 9, Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26

Resort guest: Jan / Feb / Mar: $130 / $175 / $225

Golf day cost: $130–$500 per golfer per round as a resort guest: January green fee alone, up to June–September $375 + caddie $125 (tip extra, amount not published). Day guests pay $50–$100 more.

See the full guide

Hawaiʻi

Maui's Plantation Course

Kapalua Golf

Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii, USA

  • Plantation Course

    No. 23, Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26

  • Bay CourseClosed

Plantation: $445 resort guest / $475 standard + tax

Golf day cost: $445–$706.25 + tax per golfer: resort-guest green fee, up to premium rate $546.25 + forecaddie for one $160.

See the full guide

US Southeast

Pinehurst, Kiawah, TPC Sawgrass and Streamsong

Pinehurst Resort

Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA

  • Pinehurst No. 2

    No. 6, Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26

  • Pinehurst No. 10 (walking only)

    No. 30, Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26

No. 2 premium (on top of package rate): $250

Golf day cost: Unknown

See the full guide

Kiawah Island Golf Resort

Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA

  • The Ocean Course

    No. 5, Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26

Ocean Course green fee: Unknown (not published; quoted at booking)

Golf day cost: Unknown

See the full guide

TPC Sawgrass

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA

  • THE PLAYERS Stadium Course

    No. 8, Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26

  • Dye's Valley Course

Stadium Course, September–May: From $775

Golf day cost: $590–$955 per golfer on the Stadium Course: summer rate $550 + $40 forecaddie tip, up to peak $775 + single caddie upgrade $130 + $50 tip.

See the full guide

Streamsong Resort

Bowling Green, Central Florida, USA

  • Streamsong Red

    No. 20, Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26

  • Streamsong Blue

    No. 26, Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26

Resort guest: Oct 1 – Dec 14, 2026: $375

Golf day cost: $170–$595 per golfer: summer resort-guest green fee, up to peak day-guest $445 + single-bag caddie $150 (gratuity extra, amount not published).

See the full guide

US Midwest

Whistling Straits on Lake Michigan

Destination Kohler: Whistling Straits & Blackwolf Run

Kohler & Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA

  • Whistling Straits: Straits Course (walking only)

    No. 4, Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26

  • Blackwolf Run: River

    No. 17, Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2025-26

Straits Course green fee: Unknown (rates shown only in the booking system)

Golf day cost: Unknown

See the full guide

Scotland & Northern Ireland

The Old Course and Royal Portrush

St Andrews Links

St Andrews, Fife, Scotland

  • The Old Course

    No. 2, Golf Digest World's 100 Greatest Courses 2026-27 (courses outside the US)

  • New Course

Apr 1 – Apr 20, 2026 (shoulder): £240

Golf day cost: £180–£495 per golfer for an Old Course round: low-season fee alone, up to 2027 high season £380 + caddie £80 + £35 tip.

See the full guide

Royal Portrush Golf Club

Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

  • Dunluce Links

    No. 5, Golf Digest World's 100 Greatest Courses 2026-27 (courses outside the US)

  • Valley Links

Dunluce Links: £420 per person

Golf day cost: £420 per golfer for the Dunluce (Apr–Oct 2026), plus a caddie (fee not published).

See the full guide

Canada & the Caribbean

Cabot Cape Breton and Casa de Campo

Cabot Cape Breton

Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada

  • Cabot Cliffs (walking only)

    No. 14, Golf Digest World's 100 Greatest Courses 2026-27 (courses outside the US)

  • Cabot Links (walking only)

    No. 25, Golf Digest World's 100 Greatest Courses 2026-27 (courses outside the US)

Links/Cliffs, resort guest: CA$230–CA$460

Golf day cost: CA$230–CA$550 per golfer as a resort guest in 2027: shoulder weekday green fee, up to peak CA$460 + A caddie CA$90, plus 14% HST and gratuity.

See the full guide

Casa de Campo Resort & Villas

La Romana, Dominican Republic

  • Teeth of the Dog

    No. 50, Golf Digest World's 100 Greatest Courses 2026-27 (courses outside the US)

  • Dye Fore

Teeth of the Dog, hotel guest: $450

Golf day cost: $475–$650 per golfer for Teeth of the Dog: hotel-guest fee $450 + a $25 share of a 2-player caddie, up to non-hotel guest $550 + walking caddie $100. Plus 18% tax on green fees.

See the full guide

Golf trip know-how

Caddie fees vs caddie tips

  • The caddie fee and the tip are separate at most resorts, and the published tip is often close to the fee. Pebble Beach: $175 single-bag fee, $100+ tip. Whistling Straits: $90 fee, $70 per bag tip.
  • Kiawah has no caddie fee (caddies are employees), but recommends $120 per player for a walking caddie.
  • Casa de Campo's caddie rate already includes the tip, and it's per group ($50 for 1–2 players, $100 for 3–4).
  • Pinehurst's resort fee covers golf-operations gratuities, but caddie tips are still separate: $65+ per bag walking, $40+ forecaddie.
  • Bring cash. Pebble's pro shops don't give caddie cash, St Andrews caddies are paid in pounds after the round, and Casa de Campo caddies are paid in cash.
pebblebeach.comkohlerwisconsin.comkiawahresort.comcasadecampo.com.dopinehurst.comstandrews.com

Dress codes

  • Collared shirts and no denim is the common rule: Pinehurst, Kiawah and Casa de Campo all ban denim, and Pebble Beach rules out denim, cargo and sweats.
  • Some rules are specific: Kiawah bans shorts more than 5 inches above the knee; Pinehurst asks for a belt and bans open-toe shoes.
  • Soft spikes are recommended at Pebble Beach and required at Bandon Dunes.
  • Clubhouses can be stricter than the course: Royal Portrush's Babington Room requires a jacket and tie.
pinehurst.comkiawahresort.comcasadecampo.com.dopebblebeach.combandondunesgolf.comroyalportrushgolfclub.com

Booking windows: when tee times open

  • Pebble Beach Golf Links: resort guests up to 18 months ahead, non-guests 24 hours.
  • TPC Sawgrass: 12 months with a stay-and-play, 14 days without. Cabot: 12–18 months with lodging, 14 days for day guests.
  • Kiawah: resort guests any time, the public 60 days. Kapalua: resort guests 60 days, the public 30 (or 31–60 days at a premium rate).
  • Torrey Pines: non-residents 90 days ahead with a $50 per-player fee; times release at 7 PM.
  • St Andrews: the Old Course ballot is drawn 2 days before play.
pebblebeach.comtpc.comcabot.comkiawahresort.comgolfatkapalua.comsandiego.govstandrews.com

Pace of play

  • The Rules of Golf recommend making each stroke within 40 seconds of your turn, and usually faster. In stroke play, "ready golf" (playing out of turn when safe) is allowed.
  • Casa de Campo sets 4 hours 30 minutes for Teeth of the Dog and Dye Fore.
  • Walking-only courses (Bandon Dunes, Cabot, the Straits Course) expect a carry bag or a caddie. Pebble Beach and Kohler ask for carry bags of about 24 lb or less, for caddies' sake and for pace.
randa.orgcasadecampo.com.dopebblebeach.comkohlerwisconsin.combandondunesgolf.comcabot.com

What "resort guest priority" really means

  • Earlier booking: up to 18 months at Pebble Beach, 12 months at TPC Sawgrass, 60 days at Kapalua, any time at Kiawah.
  • Lower prices: Kapalua resort guests pay $445 vs $475; Bandon Dunes resort guests pay $50 less than day guests; Casa de Campo hotel guests pay $100 less on Teeth of the Dog.
  • Exclusive access: Pinehurst Nos. 2, 4, 6–11 are for members and resort guests only, and Casa de Campo's courses are for resort guests only.
  • It isn't a guarantee: Pebble needs a 2-night minimum for Pebble Beach Golf Links, and The Lodge at Torrey Pines says tee times are "not guaranteed until confirmed".
pebblebeach.comtpc.comgolfatkapalua.comkiawahresort.combandondunesgolf.comcasadecampo.com.dopinehurst.comlodgetorreypines.com

What most golf guides miss

The tip can cost as much as the caddie

Kiawah charges no caddie fee but recommends a $120 tip per player; Pebble's recommended single-bag tip ($100+) is more than half the $175 fee.

kiawahresort.compebblebeach.com

Booking fees are on top of the green fee

Torrey Pines adds a $50 non-refundable advance booking fee per non-resident player, and the player of record must play.

sandiego.govsandiego.gov

Some courses close for weeks

TPC Sawgrass's Stadium Course is closed Oct 19 – Nov 8, 2026; Spanish Bay is shut until Apr 17, 2027; Kapalua's Bay Course is closed.

tpc.compebblebeach.comgolfatkapalua.com

Cameras stay in the bag at Kohler

Photography and video aren't permitted on Kohler's golf courses, practice areas or clubhouses.

kohlerwisconsin.com

Getting home can be harder than getting there

Uber and Lyft drop off at Streamsong but don't pick up; Inverness County (Cabot) has no taxis or rideshare.

streamsongresort.comcabot.com
What we couldn't verify
  • Pinehurst No. 2 standalone green fee (not published; only the $250 premium is official).
  • Kiawah Ocean Course green fee (quoted only at booking).
  • Whistling Straits (Straits Course) green fee (shown only in the booking system).
  • Pebble Beach room rates.
  • Royal Portrush caddie fee and winter green fees.
  • Torrey Pines caddie and dress rules come from San Diego Golf Reservations (an independent tee-time company), not the City.
  • Dress codes for TPC Sawgrass and Destination Kohler.
  • Airport transfer times for Torrey Pines, TPC Sawgrass, St Andrews and Royal Portrush.
  • Recommended caddie tips at Bandon Dunes, Streamsong, Cabot and Kapalua (fee published, tip amount not).
  • Season/weather guidance for Torrey Pines, Pinehurst and Destination Kohler.

"Golf day cost" is computed only from published fees for one round for one golfer (green fee, plus caddie and recommended tip where published). It leaves out lodging, taxes, food and transfers. Where a figure isn't published, we show Unknown rather than estimate.

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Facts were checked against official resort, club and city websites, the Golf Digest rankings and the R&A Rules of Golf on Oct 25, 2026 (PT). Prices change; confirm on the official site before booking. No sponsorships or affiliate links.