USA Golf Holidays - Top 5 Courses

France and Portugal may be the most popular destinations for UK golfers looking to play abroad but golf holidays in the USA have an appeal all of their own... Great courses, great service and a very attractive exchange rate are just three reasons why.

Most of the best courses are concentrated on the East and West coasts but you are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing where to go. The USA is so vast, it's like 50 different countries all rolled into one! And every state has its attractions (and super courses). Here's my list of the five finest golf courses in America - each has its own standout feature; whether it's the ocean or course condition or brilliant design or service.
So, if you do go on a golf holiday in the USA, make sure you play a round or two at one of the following courses...

Pebble Beach

Pebble Beach in California is perhaps the most iconic golf resort in America. The main course, Pebble Beach Links, overlooks the ocean and is a "must play" for anyone on a golf holiday in America. With astonishing views and a variety of challenges offered on every hole, it definitely shouldn't be missed.

A less well-known course in the resort is the superb Spyglass Hill, believed by those in the know to be one of the best courses in the world. Each hole is named after a Treasure Island character but don't be fooled into thinking that this isn't a serious golf course - this beautiful and brilliantly laid out course can cause problems to even the very best of players.

The Boulders

The Boulders is a truly unforgettable place to visit on a golf holiday in America. There are two courses, North and South. They aren't the most intricate or lengthy of courses, but both offer a good challenge (with South being the superior course in my opinion) and it's all about the setting here. Located in the Arizona desert, both courses offer amazing desert views and a liberal scattering of boulders and cacti around the course. It isn't often that desert cacti are one of the hazards that you'll face while playing a round of golf!

CordeValle

Another great Californian golf course, Cordevalle was designed by Robert Trent Jones Junior and features many of his trademarks - protected, undulating greens and the perfect placement of trees and fairways. A nice twist on this course is the unusual hazard at the 7th hole - wine tasting! It makes for the perfect refresher (or much needed solace!). Trent Jones says this is his best piece of work - and that is saying something.

The Seaside Course

On what is voted the Best Golf Resort in North America, The Seaside Course is Sea Island's "piece de la resistance"! There are plenty of highlights awaiting you on a golf holiday to America's East Coast but this is the one you must not miss. If ever a golf course deserved to be called a work of art, it would be this one. Immaculately laid out with a brilliant design and impeccable condition. Simply breathtaking.

The Ocean Course

The Ocean Course in South Carolina is another East Coast highlight to visit while on a golf holiday in the USA. It's best to forget about your score as every hole presents a serious challenge to even top professionals and the direction and force of the wind can make things even tougher! But if you put those worries aside you can enjoy a round of golf on a truly legendary course, rated in the World Top 100 and one which has hosted five US PGA tournaments. It has a bright future as well, as it is set to host the 2012 US PGA Championship.