For many golfers, the activity on the golf course is the only activity that matters. With these dedicated players, the challenge of the golf layout is of primary importance. If there is a comfortable inn or restaurant for passing some time after the round, that is icing on the cake, so to speak.

Yet, all golfers will find their playing experienced enhanced by the amenities of premier golf resorts, which have become widely available over the past few years. In fact, it would be surprising if there weren't a top-quality resort associated with at least one or two excellent courses in most countries around the world. Much of the everyday play occurs on public golf courses, where the courses are fine but the clubhouse facilities are spartan.

However, to enhance the experience some families and golfing groups (both male and female) now make at least an annual trip to one of the many luxury golf resorts located in some of the most beautiful places on earth. These are, in some ways, hybrids: a public course combined with top-shelf lodgings and restaurants traditionally found only at private clubs. Some of the best courses in the United States are public courses yet offer unequalled service and luxury. For example, well-known golf venues such as Pebble Beach Golf Links in California and Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in North Carolina are open to the public (with some careful planning and advance reservations, of course). Blackwolf Run (River Course) in Kohler, Wisconsin and Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club in Jackson, Wyoming are two premier golf resorts quite popular with the golfing crowd. In addition to the manicured playing surfaces found at these resorts, visitors discover some of the finest living accommodations anywhere. Reservations at top resorts generally include building design by a noted architect, exquisite surroundings that focus on the natural habitat (flowers, trees, streams), five-star dining and golf courses designed by such noted players as Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman or by famed architects such as Donald Ross or Robert Trent Jones. Luxury golf resorts typically offer convenient access to major airports, quality shopping (sometimes within the resort itself), spacious suites ideal for extended stays and nightclubs with the latest atmosphere and entertainment. For those interested in physical activity without a golf ball and golf club, most of these finer resorts have magnificent spas with full-service exercise and fitness centres. Because tennis is also popular with the golf traveller, most resorts have extensive court facilities, with lessons available. If meals are a key part of the golf vacation, visitors to these resorts should be quite satisfied. Most resorts have world-class gourmet restaurants for the formal dining experience as well as more informal settings that allow the diner to enjoy an ocean view or a panoramic view of the mountains.

Sometimes budget limitations mean that travelling golfers can enjoy the luxury of playing a fine golf course but have to be satisfied with slightly less luxurious rooms and restaurants. With the assistance of a good travel agent, golfers can, for example, play four rounds of golf and stay for three nights in Orlando, Florida