By Tom Cunneff

Admit it, you’d love to be one of those people who can sit on a beach all day, reading and napping the time away. But that’s about as likely to happen as skipping your morning coffee. Power professionals like to relax by playing as hard as they work, and no sport lends itself to that better than a round of golf on a challenging course at a first-rate resort. Many of these have multiple courses, so playing 36 holes a day is not only doable, but expected. Play an early round, break for lunch and perhaps a swim, then it’s back out for an afternoon game, followed by a hard-earned visit to the 19th hole and dinner. Repeat.

One of the great things about living in the Savannah area is that our golf cup runneth over with options, from Georgia’s Lake Country to the Sea Islands and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. What’s great about the game is that unlike, say, tennis, the skill level of your partners doesn’t matter (though etiquette does) so you can play with spouses, friends, business associates or bosses. What does matter is that you choose a resort that will meet your expectations. The 10 that follow most certainly will.

Cuscowilla Golf Resort

Located on beautiful Lake Oconee about three hours from Savannah, Cuscowilla isn’t so much a golf resort as it is a retreat. Featuring the only Ben Crenshaw/Bill Coore golf course in Georgia, Golfweek ranked Cuscowilla the second best public-access course in the state. This design duo’s trademark minimalist style and shaggy bunkers are on full display. The course winds through pine valleys and fescue-lined meadows, while a few of the holes are set right on the lake. For accommodations, there are country-style cottages that are as well designed as the course and are the epitome of rustic elegance. Lake and Mediterranean villas are also available on both the course and the lake. For dining, there’s the Golf House Grill overlooking the 14th green inside the 14,000-square-foot Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired clubhouse. The Waterside Restaurant offers a fabulous view of the lake, which offers plenty of watersports. cuscowilla.com

Kiawah Island Resort

What makes a great golf resort truly great? It’s got to have a first-class hotel with fantastic restaurants, of course. It also really helps to have a superstar of a course that every true golfer must play at least once in his or her life. And then it must have a supporting cast of courses that add value and diversity to a golf trip. Kiawah Island checks all the boxes. Its legendary Ocean Course will host the 2012 PGA Championship August 9–12—the first major ever played in South Carolina. Designed by Pete Dye, the layout curves through dunes just south of Charleston and is renowned for its difficulty, particularly when the wind blows. But if it’s ocean views you want, there’s no better place: 10 of the holes are set right on the Atlantic—more than any other course in the Northern Hemisphere. Perhaps the second best course at Kiawah is Tom Fazio’s Osprey Point with its private club-like conditioning and atmosphere, but Jack Nicklaus’ Turtle Point is also a must-play. You might consider booking late tee times, though, because it’s hard to pull yourself away from the five-star luxury of The Sanctuary, the resort’s beachfront hotel whose 225 rooms have the feel of a seaside mansion. Throw in a world-class spa, a top-ranked tennis program, and lots of nature programs, and a week’s stay just might not be long enough. kiawahresort.com

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