Last updated December 4, 2025
Golf resorts weren’t supposed to be wellness destinations. But here we are. Somewhere between the championship greens and the clubhouse happy hours, these resorts started adding serious spas.
Not just a massage room tucked in a basement, but full-scale wellness facilities with thermal suites, hydrotherapy pools and treatment menus that rival standalone wellness resorts.
Jump to:
- Boulders Resort & Spa — Scottsdale, Arizona
- The Phoenician — Scottsdale, Arizona
- Arizona Grand Resort & Spa — Phoenix, Arizona
- Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa — Carlsbad, California
- Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa — Palm Coast, Florida
- The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa — Savannah, Georgia
- Callaway Resort & Gardens — Pine Mountain, Georgia
- One&Only Palmilla — San José del Cabo, Mexico
- Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina — Kapolei, Hawaii
- The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua — Maui, Hawaii
- Carnoustie Golf Hotel & Spa — Scotland
- Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Wellness Resort — Mauritius
The appeal is straightforward: golf gets you outside, walking miles across beautiful fairways, engaging your body and mind. It’s athletic without being intense, competitive but not cutthroat.
Follow that with a deep-tissue massage when your muscles are warm and tired, and the pay-off hits differently. The rhythm appeals to wellness travelers, too: mornings on the course before it gets crowded, afternoons at the spa, evenings over long dinners.
When Golf & Wellness Click
Golf travel has become part of a larger wellness conversation. Travelers are looking for trips that combine physical activity with relaxation, and in ways that actually make sense, not choosing between them.
Golf and spa work well together because they complement each other. The course keeps you moving and focused across changing landscapes. Spa treatments let your body reset and give your mind a break from strategizing your next shot. One feeds into the other.
Don’t get us wrong. These types of resorts have always served devoted golfers and still do. Now they welcome anyone seeking restorative travel… with world-class spas set beside championship courses, yoga pavilions near the practice greens and nutritionists joining culinary teams. Programming has expanded beyond just golf, though tee times remain as coveted as ever.
This works for serious golfers who want better downtime between rounds. It also works for traveling companions who’d rather spend the afternoon at the spa than on the course.
And it’s opened golf resorts to multigenerational groups where different family members can pursue their own interests without anyone feeling dragged along.
Twelve Golf & Spa Resorts Worth Booking
The resorts doing golf and spa well aren’t just adding a spa as an afterthought or slapping “wellness” onto their marketing. They’ve built destinations where both exist as equal partners. Here are twelve golf & spa resorts that understand the assignment.
1. Boulders Resort & Spa — Scottsdale, Arizona
Two Jay Morrish courses weave through massive boulder formations, while the spa integrates desert botanicals, clay and heat therapies that feel rooted in place.
2. The Phoenician — Scottsdale, Arizona
Eighteen holes spread across the base of Camelback Mountain, paired with a newly renovated spa. The poolside luxury makes leaving for dinner feel like a real commitment.
3. Arizona Grand Resort & Spa — Phoenix, Arizona
South Mountain Park creates the backdrop for 18 holes that feel surprisingly secluded. The spa offers couples suites and treatments focused on athletic recovery, and the resort’s scale means you can disappear entirely if you want to.
4. Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa — Carlsbad, California
Arnold Palmer designed the course to follow the natural contours of the Batiquitos Lagoon, with Pacific views from multiple holes. The spa’s ocean-view treatment rooms make the case for booking the longest massage on the menu.
5. Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa — Palm Coast, Florida
Two courses anchor the property: Jack Nicklaus’ Ocean Course winds along pristine wetlands, and Tom Watson’s Conservatory Course features waterfalls fieldstone work. The European-style spa features salt therapy rooms and treatments designed for post-round rejuvenation, with ocean views almost everywhere you turn.
6. The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa — Savannah, Georgia
The only resort on the Savannah River with its own PGA course. The Heavenly Spa specializes in treatments that undo what 18 holes in Georgia humidity can do to you, and the historic district is a short water taxi ride when you’re ready to leave the grounds.
7. Callaway Resort & Gardens — Pine Mountain, Georgia
Thirty-six holes, a full-service spa and 2,500 acres of gardens that deserve their own afternoon. The resort has that rare quality of feeling polished and unpretentious, a place that doesn’t need to announce itself.
8. One&Only Palmilla — San José del Cabo, Mexico
Jack Nicklaus’ first Latin American design delivers 27 holes with Sea of Cortez views from every angle. The spa sits tucked into tropical gardens with plunge pools and rain showers, incorporating authentic Mexican rituals that feel restorative rather than performative.
9. Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina — Kapolei, Hawaii
Theodore Robinson’s inland-meets-coastal layout takes advantage of the island’s interior. The spa incorporates indigenous healing practices and four man-made lagoons provide an alternative to the ocean when you want calmer water.
10. The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua — Maui, Hawaii
The Plantation Course boasts dramatic elevation changes and coastal winds that test players of all skill levels. The spa focuses on locally sourced ingredients and Maui’s northwest coast provides scenery that explains why people never leave.
11. Carnoustie Golf Hotel & Spa — Scotland
The hotel sits directly on the Championship Course, which has hosted eight Opens. The spa understands what Scottish golf (wind, rain, uneven terrain) demands from the body. This is golf and spa at its most historic.
12. Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Wellness Resort — Mauritius
A championship course runs along Mauritius’ quieter south coast, alongside a wellness center offering Ayurvedic treatments. The Indian Ocean resets your entire concept of remote luxury.
Snapshot Summary
Golf & spa resorts now function as full wellness destinations, not just traditional country clubs. These properties pair championship courses with world-class spas, creating trips where physical activity and pampering work in tandem. Mornings on the fairways transition naturally into spa afternoons, appealing to serious golfers seeking better recovery, non-golfing companions wanting their own experience and multigenerational groups traveling together. From Arizona’s boulder-studded desert courses to Scotland’s historic links and Mauritius’ coastal retreats, these twelve resorts treat golf and wellness as equal priorities rather than add-ons.
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