Best Golf Destinations for Groups of 8+

Large-group golf trips operate under different constraints than trips for four or six. The challenges are not primarily about finding good courses. They are about booking consecutive tee times at those courses, housing everyone in reasonable proximity, managing a budget across a dozen wallets, and maintaining group cohesion over three or four days when the natural tendency of any gathering beyond eight people is to fragment into smaller clusters. The destinations that handle large groups best are the ones that have built infrastructure around the problem: deep course inventories, accommodation designed for groups, and a booking ecosystem that treats twelve golfers as a standard request rather than a special occasion.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Myrtle Beach absorbs large groups more efficiently than any destination in America. This is not an opinion; it is a structural fact. More than eighty courses along a sixty-mile corridor mean that a group of sixteen can split into foursomes, play four different courses simultaneously, and reassemble for dinner without anyone driving more than thirty minutes. The stay-and-play industry on the Grand Strand is built specifically for groups: operators like Legends Resort and Barefoot Resort bundle tee times across multiple courses with accommodation at prices that decrease as group size increases.

The course quality spans every tier. Caledonia Golf and Fish Club is a Bucket List course by any standard. True Blue, its sister property, delivers a Mike Strantz design of equal ambition. The four Barefoot Resort courses, each by a different major designer, provide variety within a single resort complex. At the value end, Crow Creek and Beachwood Golf Course offer genuine golf at prices under $80. A group of twelve can play eight different courses over four days without repeating and without exhausting the options.

Accommodation for large groups centres on rental houses. A five-bedroom oceanfront house in North Myrtle Beach or near Barefoot Landing sleeps ten to twelve and costs less per person than individual hotel rooms. For groups of sixteen or more, two adjacent rental houses provide the communal benefits of shared space with the breathing room that prevents cabin fever.

Best for: Groups of 8 to 24. Budget: $1,000 to $2,000 per person for three nights.

Scottsdale, Arizona

The Phoenix metro area contains more than 200 courses, and the top twenty include courses by Tom Fazio, Bill Coore, Tom Weiskopf, and Rees Jones. A group of sixteen has no difficulty booking consecutive tee times at TPC Scottsdale, We-Ko-Pa, Troon North, or Grayhawk, all of which are accustomed to group play.

Scottsdale handles large groups through depth of inventory rather than stay-and-play packaging.

The resort infrastructure is equally deep. The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, JW Marriott Camelback Inn, and Hyatt Regency Scottsdale all accommodate group bookings with dedicated coordinators. For groups that prefer rental houses, the North Scottsdale corridor offers four and five-bedroom homes with private pools and desert views at prices comparable to mid-range hotel rooms.

Scottsdale's advantage over Myrtle Beach for large groups is the evening programme. Old Town's restaurant and bar scene is dense enough that a group of twelve can walk between venues without needing transport, which keeps the group together after dark. The dining quality exceeds what the golf-resort label might suggest.

Best for: Groups of 8 to 20. Budget: $1,800 to $3,500 per person for three nights, January through April.

Pinehurst, North Carolina

Pinehurst solves the large-group problem through concentration. Nine courses on one resort property means that a group of sixteen can play in foursomes on different courses each morning and gather at the same clubhouse bar by 2:00 PM. Nobody drives. Nobody gets lost. The logistical friction that derails large-group trips at sprawling destinations simply does not exist.

The resort's event coordination team handles groups of eight to forty as routine business. They assign courses, manage tee times, and organise post-round dining in a village setting that keeps everyone within walking distance. The Carolina Hotel and The Holly Inn provide on-property lodging, and the surrounding Village of Pinehurst offers rental houses for groups that prefer a shared base.

The limitation is cost. Pinehurst packages that include No. 2 run higher than comparable group trips at Myrtle Beach or along the RTJ Trail. A group that is willing to forgo No.

2 and focus on courses 4, 8, and 9 can reduce the per-person cost meaningfully while still playing three of the strongest courses in the Sandhills.

Best for: Groups of 8 to 16. Budget: $2,000 to $4,000 per person for three nights.

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Alabama

The road-trip format suits large groups that enjoy the drive between sites. A Birmingham-based itinerary might include Ross Bridge, Oxmoor Valley, and Capitol Hill over four days, with stops in small Alabama towns for barbecue that the group will discuss for months. The trail's lodges, located at several of the sites, accommodate groups at rates that make the overall trip cost almost irresponsibly low.

The trade-off is prestige. RTJ Trail courses are well-maintained and thoughtfully designed, but they lack the national rankings and brand recognition of Pinehurst or Bandon. For the group that cares more about playing four good rounds together at a price that everyone can afford, this trade-off is not a trade-off at all.

Best for: Groups of 8 to 20. Budget: $600 to $1,200 per person for three nights.

Palm Springs, California

Palm Springs accommodates large groups through a combination of course volume and rental house inventory. More than 100 courses in the Coachella Valley provide booking flexibility, and the rental market in La Quinta, Palm Desert, and Indian Wells offers houses with four to six bedrooms, private pools, and mountain views at prices that compete with hotel rooms. A group of twelve in two rental houses near PGA West has access to the Stadium Course, the Nicklaus Tournament Course, and nearby Indian Wells, all within a fifteen-minute drive.

The season runs from November through April, with peak pricing in January and February. A group that visits in November or late March benefits from the same courses and the same desert light at 30 to 40 percent lower cost. The pool and patio culture of Palm Springs provides the evening wind-down that large groups need, and the quieter pace compared to Scottsdale or Las Vegas suits the group that prioritises golf and recovery over nightlife.

Best for: Groups of 8 to 16. Budget: $1,500 to $3,000 per person for three nights.

Sand Valley, Wisconsin

Sand Valley is a newer entrant in the large-group conversation, but its format suits groups of eight to twelve particularly well. Three full-length walking-only courses, two short courses, and on-property accommodation that keeps the group together. The Lido, a recreation of C.B. Macdonald's lost Long Island design, and Mammoth Dunes, with fairways wide enough to accommodate any handicap, provide the rounds that give the trip its identity.

The limitation is capacity. Sand Valley is a single resort with a finite number of tee times, and large groups need to book well in advance, particularly for summer and early autumn. The on-property lodging handles groups of eight to twelve comfortably; groups above sixteen may need to supplement with off-site accommodation in Nekoosa or Wisconsin Rapids.

Best for: Groups of 8 to 12. Budget: $1,800 to $3,000 per person for three nights.

Logistics for Large Groups

Three rules for making a large-group golf trip work regardless of destination.

First, centralise the booking. One person handles all tee times, accommodation, and dinner reservations. Distributed planning produces conflicting bookings, missed deadlines, and the kind of low-grade chaos that erodes group morale.

Second, collect money early. Set a per-person cost, collect a deposit at booking, and collect the balance 30 days before departure. Do not front the money and chase reimbursement afterward. The friendships will not survive it.