Spending more time with family, tackling a home renovation project, and reaching 10,000 steps per day are common New Year’s Resolutions. At Golf Travel Wire, we’ve resolved to visit destinations we’ve wanted to explore, but haven’t quite yet.
Over the course of this month, our writers will share the courses and locations–old and new–they’d most like to visit in 2025.
Week one submissions were provided by Alli Hall, editor of the Golf Travel Wire. Although an avid golf fan, her list of courses to actually play is extensive. As a Raleigh, North Carolina local, the courses at Pinehurst Resort are her most frequented.
THE OCEAN COURSE AT KIAWAH ISLAND
One of only four courses to have hosted each of the PGA of America’s major championships, a round at the Ocean Course is not for the faint of heart. With the ocean’s unpredictable breezes, this course poses a challenge for even the most seasoned golf professionals. While the environment may create a different playing experience each time, the stunning coastline views will never change.
KAURI CLIFFS
The Northland Region of New Zealand is often dubbed “the Winterless North” due to the mild climate throughout the year. For Americans considering winter golf destinations, Kauri Cliffs might be the perfect location. This David Harman design is set upon 6,000 acres of working sheep and cattle farmland, and features views of the Pacific Ocean and the coastlines of Cape Brett and the Cavalli Islands.
Week two submissions were provided by Golf Travel Wire’s weekly contributor, Dave Droschak. Droschak grew up in Penn Hills, PA, about five minutes from the famed Oakmont Country Club, and was introduced to the game of golf as a caddie at Green Oaks Country Club in nearby Verona, PA. Now based in Apex, NC, his golf publications have been regarded as the “No. 1 Source for Golf News in North Carolina.”
RAINDANCE NATIONAL
At 8,463 yards, RainDance National is the longest golf course in North America, as well as the third longest in the world. Two par-5s measure more than 700 yards each as the course is laid out across some spectacular high plains Colorado scenery an hour north of Denver. Situated on 325 acres, RainDance is dotted with natural canyons and expansive views that measure 30-40 miles.
BLACK DESERT RESORT
The western part of the United States has its share of unique topography but playing Black Desert Resort in Utah takes things to another dimension. Gofers tee off against a backdrop of stunning red rocks and mountains as ancient black lava rock adds a touch of drama to each hole. The 19-hole, 7,200-yard desert golf course was designed by Tom Weiskopf – a legendary pro golfer and course architect chosen for his iconic work among Hawaii’s lava fields.