Regardless of whether you’re a newcomer to the sport or a die-hard golfing fanatic, teeing-off at the vast stretches of pristine green that are the world’s finest golf courses is the exact definition of the perfect holiday for many around the world. Technically, this definition hasn’t made it into the Concise Oxford English Dictionary yet, but we think it’ll only be a matter of time before this oversight is remedied. The equation still remains: luxury vacation = golf, and it’s nigh on impossible to argue with that sort of logic.

In the past, there used to be one crucial question when it came to planning a luxury golfing vacation, and that centered on the choice between the links or the accommodation. Which one will it be? A great golf course or the best hotel? In an ideal world we wouldn’t even need to ask that question (of course the best hotel would have an unbeatable golf course, but perhaps that’s another one for the category of “definitions thatshould be included in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary“), but for many seasoned golfers and eager novices it’s been a compromise that has been made all too often when choosing from hotels in San Francisco, San Diego, or Las Vegas.

But if you’re looking for the pick of the bunch when it comes to resort golf course in North America, you shouldn’t go past the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina, or the Fairmont Chateau Whistler in British Columbia. For traditional links, Scotland’s Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews is simply divine, although you can’t scoff at a new experience like playing accompanied by a Himalayan panorama, an opportunity offered at the Gokarna Forest Golf Resort & Spa in Kathmandu, Nepal. The top choice in Continental Europe is undoubtedly the Hotel Guadalmina Spa & Golf Resort, in Marbella, Spain. These are among the best hotels in the world that provide exceptional golfing facilities with fantastic accommodation for singles, couples, or families.