Sponsored by:
The Greenbrier
White Sulphur Springs, W.V.
800-453-4858, greenbrier.com
Visitors have been coming to The Greenbrier since 1778, but the resort has stayed on top for 230 years by continually improving. A restoration of C.B. Macdonald's Old White Course has resurrected the mountain masterpiece, and last year also saw the debut of Hemisphere, with its world-class tasting menu, and the opening of the 38°80 nightclub. For all its changes, the Carlton Varney /Dorothy Draper interiors are still intact and visitors can still tour the resort's Cold War-era underground bunker.
The Broadmoor
Colorado Springs, Colo.
866-837-9520, thebroadmoor.com
Celebrities and presidents have been trading chips and quips at the Broadmoor for more than a century, but Colorado's grand dame isn't ready to grow old. Since our last ranking the Broadmoor has added the Mountain Course, one of GOLF Magazine's Top 10 New Courses of the Year in 2006, and its exquisite Penrose Room restaurant has become the state's only five-diamond winner.
Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Kiawah Island, S.C.
800-654-2924, kiawahresort.com
After breaking into the upper echelon of golf resorts in 2004 with the opening of the superb Sanctuary Hotel, Kiawah Island shows no signs of slowing down. The resort has just opened a 24,000-square-foot clubhouse at the Ocean Course, the signature layout that is ranked No. 28 in GOLF Magazine's Top 100 Courses in the U.S. Off the course, ten miles of private beach, countless bike paths through moss-draped oaks and a nature-based spa round out the genteel enticements at this Charleston-area retreat.
Pebble Beach Resorts
Pebble Beach, Calif.
800-654-9300, pebblebeach.com
This year we've combined the Pebble Beach resorts into one, because whether you stay at the Lodge, the Inn at Spanish Bay or Casa Palmero, they're all Platinum quality. The Lodge is drenched in character while the Inn boasts a modern ambience. The dining is greatly improved here, led by Club XIX, and the off-course options include kayaking in Stillwater Cove and horseback riding in the Del Monte Forest. But nothing competes with walking up the 18th fairway at Pebble Beach. Everything else is just gravy.
Sea Island Resort
Sea Island, Ga.
888-732-4752, seaisland.com
Sea Island has been family-owned since 1928, but it has transformed itself into a terrific twenty-first-century resort rather than remain a relic of a bygone era. The golf is fine, but the accommodations elevate Sea Island. The Lodge is the finest small golf hotel in the U.S, while the Cloister—rebuilt in 2006—is among the best properties anywhere.
){kind=link}