Choose a Golf Getaway Designed to Include the Whole Family

As the game of golf at the recreational level continues to grow in popularity, so do the number of destinations where golf can be a focal point of family vacations. New and upgraded resorts now make their golf experience a priority, improving it for families and simplifying the ability to play golf on the go.

PHOTO: © WILD DUNES RESORT

MOUNTAIN ESCAPE
The White Mountains region of New Hampshire is known for iconic Mount Washington, cozy rural towns and great hiking for all ages.

Reaching the summit of Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast, requires a treacherous hike, but you don’t have to travel that far north to capture the essence of a New England stay. The newly expanded Owl’s Nest Resort gives you an upscale mountain experience with everything you need for a multiday getaway while still delivering a rural feel.

Exactly 73 miles from New Hampshire’s Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, the easy drive to the resort allows you to avoid the busy roads of Boston and shave time from the commute through a major city. In less than one hour and 15 minutes you can arrive at the Thornton property with a serene, captivating view welcoming you and your family.

The Owl’s Nest boasts the only Jack Nicklaus-designed course in the state. The tree-lined layout features the undulation you’d expect in New England, with signature Nicklaus details including multiple doglegs and challenging greens. The blind tee shots and hole diversity afford a low- handicap player a rewarding challenge from the tips, but the impressive variety of tee boxes allows players of all abilities to enjoy a day of play. This relatively remote property doesn’t get overwhelmingly busy, even with a shortened golf season. Well-maintained with thoughtful landscaping touches, the course enables you to escape in nature without giving an overly manicured resort feeling. Keep an eye out for wildlife looking to enjoy the property, too: bears, foxes, beavers and more. The 360-degree mountain panorama enhances your round, and the views of Mount Moosilauke, Mount Tecumseh and Mount Osceola may even inspire you to tackle one of New Hampshire’s 4,000-footers.

Two teaching professionals give golf lessons on site. Junior clinics are offered regularly, and rental sets are available for all ages. Everything, including the driving range, is centrally located on property, so you can spend more time on your game and less time wondering about logistics, especially with little ones in tow.

Panorama Six82, the flagship restaurant, sits above the golf course at the highest point of the property. The outdoor seating along the Appalachian Trail offers one of the best views in the state. The menu includes spirited seasonal choices and American classics with refreshing adult beverage offerings and plenty of kids’ favorites. Several nights a week you may enjoy live music drifting into the mountains. The pizzeria and the deli market make for quick options, with a good variety for a multiday stay.

PHOTO: © OWL’S NEST RESORT

The resort offers specific stay-and-play options, but other amenities may tempt you to play more than golf. The activity hub includes 13 pickleball courts, eight red clay tennis courts and four platform tennis courts. Tennis Resorts Online even rated Owl’s Nest the No. 2 Pickleball Resort in the World. For younger children, the newly opened playground proves a hit.

To fill out the remainder of your visit, you can start or finish your day taking in the surrounding scenery in a zen state with indoor and outdoor yoga. The WellNest Spa offers several popular treatments, including a visitor favorite, the lymphatic treatment.

The Boathouse, a 6,000-square-foot modern barn designed for events, emits a family-friendly feel with an outdoor heated swimming pool and hot tub on its heated patio as well as a full-service bar. Due to the resort’s popularity, it’s worth checking about wedding or event use at the property prior to your stay or upon check-in to properly plan your full stay.

This resort has made impressive improvements and thought of every detail along the way.

Lodging ranges from private, expansive cottages complete with a full kitchen and fireplaces to one-bedroom options within Lakeside Village. You can choose from a more remote escape or a community feel on site around 10-acre Lake Harold.

The golf season typically lasts April through October. Most New England natives recommend the fall season as the best time to visit because of the breathtaking, vivid foliage that will stop you in your tracks. Fresh apple cider, local maple syrup and irresistible pumpkin pie are all part of the seasonal joy. Harvest festivals, corn mazes and apple orchards all lie within a 20-minute drive of the resort and nicely accompany a stay.

AN OCEAN OPTION
Making every effort to be an ultimate oceanside family destination, Wild Dunes Resort welcomes guests to a private beach experience with multiple golf course options just outside Charleston in Isle of Palms, South Carolina.

The resort lies less than 25 miles from Charleston International Airport, making for a quick ride-share commute. Once on site, you won’t need to wander, as this resort brims with options for all your needs. However, the property provides ample parking should you elect to drive.

As you begin your getaway, you will face a difficult choice: Which of the two Tom Fazio designs to play first? There’s the Links Course or the Harbor Course.

A shuttle to the par-70 Links Course brings you to a quirky and fun driving range. Kids (and adults) will love hitting into the water. Across the street sits the first tee, followed by a fair mixture of holes that hug the Atlantic Ocean and others that blend into the sand dunes. Locals rave about the year-round conditions and the great quality of the greens. You may be surprised by the elevation changes here at sea level, with some elevated tee boxes. And be sure to stop for a burger at the clubhouse — you will be happy you did. The food is a highlight, as are great views of the course.

Harbor Course commands a sterner test, especially off the tees. The par-70 layout sits along the Intracoastal Waterway and challenges players with angles on penalty areas and water such as lagoons and salt marshes. You’ll likely spot a gator or two, so keep your eyes peeled, and leave that missing golf ball to the wildlife!

The resort offers a family special every day after 4 p.m., when junior golfers 15 years old and younger can play a complimentary round if accompanied by an adult. Any other time of day, juniors can play 18 holes at the nine-hole rate when playing with an adult. There aren’t junior golf clubs to rent, so pack your kids’ sticks or consider shipping them to the resort. The resort has plenty of storage to accommodate golf gear, and staff will help with logistics.

PHOTO: © WILD DUNES RESORT

Lessons for juniors extend beyond private golf lessons. Wild Dunes holds tennis clinics year-round and even offers outdoor day camp May through August, should parents want to enjoy time to explore the property on their own. The property includes 12 clay tennis courts and five pickleball courts for guests. You can also rent bicycles and cruise around the property through intimate marsh scenery and by the pastel-painted homes and buildings.

Accommodations range from oceanfront condo rentals to luxury homes comfortably sleeping up to 15 people just steps from the beach entrance. If you’d rather stay at a hotel, the on-site Boardwalk Inn — an annual AAA Four Diamond award winner — features a sophisticated feel but also makes a suitable choice for families with guests 18 and above. Sweetgrass Inn, centrally located on property, offers a lively place for families of all ages to call home for a few days. The full-service, kid-friendly pool with cabanas sits at the heart of the hotel, along with the spa and fireplaces to enjoy some sweet snacks after dark. You’ll find a sweet shop and coffee shop only steps away along the resort promenade. Most of the restaurants lie less than half a mile from Sweetgrass Inn check-in.

Charleston is known for its cuisine, and the resort’s 11 dining options will please your tastebuds. If you came for seafood, dig in! The seafood tower at Oystercatcher might be the best you’ll ever have. Other dining options include family-friendly pizza, tacos, burgers, brunch and small bites … and a great view from the rooftop bar.

PHOTO: © WILD DUNES RESORT

Beyond golf, the resort includes a long-list of activities with the stay. Turtle Cove activity center features old-school video games, board games, crafts and workshops to share as a family. Special weekly offerings include water balloon tosses, sand sculpture contests and stuffed animal making. And if mom and dad want to get away for some alone time, the facility staff keeps kids ages 4 and up entertained each Saturday 5–8 p.m. with advance reservations.

If traveling with infants and toddlers, ask the resort about its local partner, Charleston Baby’s Away, for crib rentals, baby beach gear, car seats, wagons and strollers to lighten your packing load.

The resort sits inside a gated community with private beach access for its guests and community members. With beach availability only 15 minutes by foot from anywhere on the property, the amenities and layout offer the perfect place to unplug, with the charm of nearby Charleston.