Over the holidays, a few friends and I were talking about taking a guys golf trip over a long weekend. There are the obvious ones like Pebble, Pinehurst, Brandon Dunes, etc., but most of the golfers going are not very skilled and that kind of cost wont be worth it. Anyone have any recs for a place that would allow 5 of us to stay and play and not break the bank?

Our criteria is anywhere that offers 2+ good, affordable courses in the Southeast US within a 2 hour drive of a major city. We would probably play 2 rounds Friday and Saturday, and one round Sunday before flying out,

see RTJ thread in this forum.

May look into Kiawah but skip the Ocean Course. Opt for staying in a VRBO instead of on the resort.

The other 5-6 courses they have there are nice, you're 45-60 min from Charleston, and have decent beaches to hang at while you're not golfing.

5 some is frowned upon you know..

2 and 3?
4 and 1?

Southern Pines area. Wife and I did a trip over Labor Day. 3 nights at Mid Pines Inn and 3 rounds for $475 a person. Played Tobacco Road, Pine Needles, and Dormie Club. We used Tobacco Road Travel to book the package.

Compare that to a trip a did in October with some friends to Horseshoe Bay at 3 nights and 3 rounds for just under $1000 per person.

How about the Hyatt Lost Pines right here in Bastrop County. I'm pretty sure they will let you play 5. If you are staying at the resort the rates are reasonable. Lots of good golf in Austin as well.

If you really want to get trashy, try ColoVista. They have duplexes right beside hole #2 that are very reasonable. They let us play 6 in a group. We have had bachelor parties there and they didn't care that we had kegs/liquor in the rooms.

I second the Pinehurst/Mid Pines area.

The Tobacco Road travel packages are tough to beat, and there are so many golf course options that you and your buddies could end up making it a regular trip.

La Toretta or Pine Dunes

Edit to say
I'm assuming it's more about commairaderi than elite golf and lodging.

I've heard Trump National Doral has some good deals from time to time. And they have some cheaper options if you don't care to play the Blue Monster. I met one of their sales reps at a PGA networking event last year.

FWIW I played Colo last weekend and greens are in the best shape they've been in in a long time.... which isn't saying much but worth $20 off golfnow


If staying in tx I'd add Vaaler creek and I second pine dunes in Frankston which is very similar to pinehurst style of courses. Excellent track and lodging is sufficient.

Or just get a hotel room in San Antonio and lick and choose which courses fit yalls budgets. Excellent tracks in SA in close proximity to one another for the most part.

Maybe not the most inexpensive but the private flight & golf packages to Lajitas sound like an awesome time.

Scottsdale in October or May. Courses are still in good shape, flights are easy and abundant and Air BNB's are cheap.

I've done Scottsdale, Hilton Head, Vegas and Brandon. Scottsdale is what you described.

NW Arkansas has some good courses. Pretty inexpensive place to play.

The Southern Pines area looks really legit. I think we're pivoting to that instead of RTJ Trail. Looks like from right now until mid May, you can get 3 nights and 4 rounds, all on Top 100 Public courses, for around $900.

Old School Brother said:

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The Southern Pines area looks really legit. I think we're pivoting to that instead of RTJ Trail. Looks like from right now until mid May, you can get 3 nights and 4 rounds, all on Top 100 Public courses, for around $900.

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Do not skip Dormie Club

Definitely would not. Currently exchanging emails on packages with one of their people. Three nights in a 2 bedroom suite and rounds on Dormie Club, Tobacco Road, Pine Needles, and Mid Pines is coming in at $1040pp including tax. Am asking about cost to add on rounds. This is for mid to late April.

07fta07 said:

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Old School Brother said:

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The Southern Pines area looks really legit. I think we're pivoting to that instead of RTJ Trail. Looks like from right now until mid May, you can get 3 nights and 4 rounds, all on Top 100 Public courses, for around $900.

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Do not skip Dormie Club

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Yep - I didn't play a single resort course my first go round, but Dormie Club still made my trip an amazing experience.

I agree pinehurst area courses mentioned are great. I would like to add Reynolds Plantation on lake oconee just east of Atlanta. Link to the package my group did below.

https://www.golfcoursehome.com/community-packages/reynolda-plantation-ga-stay-n-play-package/

Hot Springs Village in Arkansas is a fantastic choice for a cheap stay and play.

Finalizing details on a package to play the below NC Sandhills courses. Tobacco Road Travel people have been very helpful.

Dormie Club
Tobacco Road
Pine Needles
Mid Pines
Mid South
Legacy

Now to get my back in golf shape to be ready for 36 holes two days in a row.

Please share your pricing/details when you get the itinerary finalized. Thanks.

Got final itinerary today. Trip is in early April.

Thursday AM -- Fly in to RDU
Thursday PM -- Play Dormie Club
Friday AM -- Play Mid South Club
Friday PM -- Play Legacy Golf Club
Saturday AM -- Play Mid Pines
Saturday PM -- Play Pine Needles
Sunday AM -- Play Tobacco Road
Sunday PM -- Fly home
Monday -- Sit in an ice bath for roughly 12 hours

Final number was right around $1300/person and includes all golf fees and lodging in a 2 room suite (nothing fancy, like a Marriott). Flight from DFW is around $300.

Old School Brother said:

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Got final itinerary today. Trip is in early April.

Thursday AM -- Fly in to RDU
Thursday PM -- Play Dormie Club
Friday AM -- Play Mid South Club
Friday PM -- Play Legacy Golf Club
Saturday AM -- Play Mid Pines
Saturday PM -- Play Pine Needles
Sunday AM -- Play Tobacco Road
Sunday PM -- Fly home
Monday -- Sit in an ice bath for roughly 12 hours

Final number was right around $1300/person and includes all golf fees and lodging in a 2 room suite (nothing fancy, like a Marriott). Flight from DFW is around $300.

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Good plan and pricing. The only thing I'm not fond of is playing Dormie right after flying in to RDU and driving the 1:15 or so to it. Its such a great course you wouldn't want to be rushed to get there and get through it.

Aside form that, I think yall are in store for a great trip. Also, the rooms are no big deal to me and where I cut costs as well. When I went I stayed at a Microtel for like 50 bucks a night. I just needed a place to shower and sleep in between the golf.

Yeah, I looked at it two ways. One was the way you were thinking, which was that I wouldn't want to play it first and be rushed. I decided I wasn't as worried about that because we're getting to the airport around 10am and our tee time isn't until 1:30, so we should have plenty of time to make the drive, change clothes, get lunch, hit balls, whatever.
The positive in my view is that we'll be our freshest on that first day. I didn't really want to play Dormie on a day we're playing 36 and by Sunday morning, I'm sure we're going to be running on fumes.
They gave us an option with a shared hotel room where we wouldn't have our own bedrooms, but it was only like $80 cheaper for the whole package. For that difference, I'd rather have my own bedroom.

Tobacco Road as a last round. That'll leave a nasty taste in your mouth. It's a great course but DIFFERENT.

If you have it in you, walk it. You miss so much of that course not walking down the fairways.

we ever get a review/pictures from this trip? I'm in the early stages of planning my groups next golf trip and north carolina is on my list....