Our USA Golf Destination Choices For 2024

Guest Article by Nick Liddle of yourgolfcourses.com.

What a year of golf 2023 has been. There are still two and a half months left, but it’s already shaping up as one of the most entertaining golf seasons for many decades.

The Ryder Cup was epic, played on a special course with some of the finest players on the planet at the top of their game. 

When it came to the the men's majors, with a nod to the great Seve Ballesteros, we had another Spanish winner of The Masters, Jon Rahm.

The unheralded Brian Harman won The Open. Whilst the up-and-coming Wyndham Clark excelled at Los Angeles Country Club, where the U.S. Open was held. 

And lastly, LIV Golf managed to hit the headlines for the right reasons this time, with Brooks Koepka prevailing at the PGA Championship. 

I don’t know about you, but all this entertainment has already got me thinking about my 2024 golf vacation. That’s assuming I can’t squeeze one last trip in this year!

So here are my four choices to consider for 2024. 

Destination 1: Miami

Any list of exciting places to play golf has to include somewhere in Florida! The Sunshine State has so much choice, regardless of where you are.

The likes of Tampa, Fort Myers and Naples all hugging the west coast. The ever-popular Orlando in the heart of the state.

And on the east coast, there is Jacksonville in the north as well as numerous different options as you head south. 

But for 2024, I’m looking at Miami. And maybe that’s because the Trump National Doral Golf Club is soon to feature one of LIV Golf’s final events. So Miami is front-of-mind right now.

And yet there is so much more in this city to enjoy. Lush tropical scenery and miles upon miles of golden beaches. Likewise, every corner you turn has good options for bars and restaurants.

My choice of golf resorts in Miami include the Trump National Doral close to downtown Miami. Or further up the coast in Aventura, is the stunning JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa with its two championship golf courses. 

Destination 2: Scottsdale

I can hear you already. Surely Scottsdale is a good option regardless of what year it is. And you’re not wrong.

This city based in eastern Phoenix, Arizona, has a wealth of quality golf courses. Far too many to list here. Some of its private golf courses are the best in Arizona. The likes of Estancia, Whisper Rock, Desert Highlands, Silverleaf, Desert Mountain….the list goes on. 

Yet due to the number of quality public golf courses in Scottsdale, it remains hugely popular with stay and play golfers. And to cope with the flow of visitors, there are some top class golf resorts dotted around the city.

Many of these visitors will inevitably be traveling over to enjoy the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Hosted at TPC Scottsdale, it is one of the most enthralling stops on the PGA Tour and must be ticked off your bucket list.

So what makes Scottsdale special for 2024? To be honest, it’s partly because I haven’t traveled there for many years and in that time, a number of public courses have been renovated.

For example, the aforementioned Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale enjoyed a major redesign, albeit it was a good few years ago. As did the Raptor Course at the superb Grayhawk Golf Club and the Cholla Course at We-Ko-Pa. 

Basically I’m trying to find any excuse to get back to this great golf destination. I would recommend staying in the city centre and driving out to the courses. Or stay in one of the great golf resorts in Scottsdale.

Destination 3: Pinehurst

My misguided impression of Pinehurst is that as the rest of the golfing world moves at a pace, with the noise of competing tours and other happenings, Pinehurst is a beacon of stability and peace. 

Its quiet location tucked away in the dense forests of North Carolina with its quintessential Donald Ross layouts. It seems to move at its own pace and remain unaffected by the distractions happening around it.  

And yet I couldn’t be more wrong. A lot has happened at Pinehurst, with 2024 looking like a very busy year. 

It makes most sense to kick off with the iconic Donald Ross-designed Pinehurst No.2 Course hosting the 2024 U.S. Open. Considered to be one of the most prestigious and desirable courses in America, I simply cannot wait to watch this spectacle of golf.

And the not so insignificant news that Pinehurst should be unveiling its first new golf course in 30 years! The Pinehurst No.10 Course, designed by the immensely talented Tom Doak, is scheduled to open in spring 2024.

Continuing this theme, many of the top golf courses in Pinehurst have been renovated over the last decade. 

Pine Needles and Mid Pines were both renovated by Kyle Franz. Whilst at Pinehurst Resort, the No.2, No.3, No.4 and No.8 courses were all given some loving care by some of the most respected architects out there.

So the notion that Pinehurst is locked in time couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact quite the opposite. This is probably the golf destination to visit in 2024!

Aside from Pinehurst Resort, which you may struggle to get into, consider staying at Mid Pines, Pine Needles or the fantastic Talamore Resort.

Destination 4: Palm Springs

To round things off, I’ve chosen Palm Springs in sunny California.

Framed by the Santa Rosa Mountains, it’s a couple of hours drive east from Los Angeles into the Coachella Valley. For at least half a century, Palm Springs has been a playground for folks of all backgrounds. And golf is just one of many activities on offer.

But it is the golf we care about mostly, and with over a hundred courses in the area, it could be rightly considered one of the golf capitals of the United States. There is a litany of top class private courses, with more than its fair share of public golf courses.

And one of the most exciting developments is happening at the publicly accessible Stadium Course at PGA West.

Designed by the legendary Pete Dye, it is enjoying a renovation led by Timothy Liddy + Associates. Liddy worked with Dye for many decades, so he is arguably best placed to oversee this project.

Although it is being touted as a ‘light touch’ renovation, I genuinely can’t wait to see the finished article. Especially as this is one of the apex public golf courses in Palm Springs.

And you’re spoilt for choice for where to stay with many golf resorts in Palm Springs on offer. 

So there you go. My four destinations to consider for a golf vacation in 2024. I’d love to hear where you’re thinking of going and why.

Nick's Profile

Nick Liddle launched yourgolfcourses.com, which is a site dedicated to being your one-stop shop to discover all the best public golf courses across cities and states in the United States. Across hundreds of posts, find public golf courses ranked and even recommended for best views, best for groups, best value etc. Having traveled extensively around the U.S. you’ll also discover the best golf resorts to stay at across most major golf destinations.