The allure of the world’s most exceptional golf hotels lies in their ability to transcend the sport, as they showcase championship-level courses alongside Michelin-starred dining, world-class spas, guided excursions and a panoply of activities. Ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Ryder Cup in September 2027, these remarkable ASMALLWORLD Collection properties offer a bespoke escape for every guest, even if they have never picked up a club.

Nowhere is this spirit of golf more palpable than at the Ryder Cup – established to elevate the status of professional players. Played entirely for pride rather than prize money, this legendary biennial clash between Europe and the United States has grown into one of the world’s most highly anticipated sporting events.

While Adare Manor’s golfing timeline traces back to the late 1890s, its immaculate championship course will host the 2027 Ryder Cup. The neo-Gothic estate in Limerick is necklaced by a forest of ancient trees and the River Maigue. Inside the countryside manorhouse, guests are welcomed with roaring fireplaces, a world-class spa and Michelin-starred cuisine at the Oak Room that celebrates the finest Irish produce and tipple. Whether strolling through the manicured gardens, practising archery, clay pigeon shooting or unwinding with a rare whiskey by the hearth, this immaculately restored hotel embodies the historic grandeur of yesteryear.

During the gilded age of travel, The Gleneagles Hotel was an essential fixture on the high-society calendar with Londoners taking the train to the resort's dedicated railway line for golfing holidays. It has retained this tradition, having hosted the Ryder and Solheim cups this century.

Beyond its legendary King's and Queen's courses (designed by James Braid) and the renowned PGA Centenary course, the resort is a playground for countryside pursuits. Mornings transition into falconry, fly-fishing, off-roading or perhaps a rejuvenating treatment at the serene spa, followed by afternoon tea. As twilight settles over the Perthshire moorlands, attention shifts to the culinary choices at the elegant Dormy Clubhouse or Restaurant Andrew Fairlie – Scotland’s only two-Michelin-starred venue.

Lord Byron famously described the Sintra Mountains as a "glorious Eden", as the unique microclimate of Sintra-Cascais Natural Park keeps the pine-covered hills perpetually swathed in an ethereal mist, fueling fairytales and garnering it UNESCO World Heritage site status. Historically, Sintra was a summer retreat for Portuguese royalty and European nobility, who built pastel-hued palaces and monasteries that form part of Penha Longa Resort today.

The 27-hole naturalised golf layout winds through craggy peaks, native forests and ruins, with panoramic views of the Atlantic coastline. It has challenged the world's best golfers during the Portuguese Open on four occasions. The property’s biodiversity programmes have seen a dramatic resurgence of local wildlife, with guests catching glimpses of deer, wild boar and foxes on their walks, hikes, cycling excursions or curated Jeep safaris. After sundown, the focus shifts to wellness at the Natura Bissé spa or a culinary adventure across the resort’s award-winning restaurants.

On the sun-dappled Kona-Kohala coast of Hawaii's Big Island, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai boasts a championship course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, that winds through fields of lava rock before revealing the turquoise Pacific Ocean on the final holes. The island’s natural beauty takes centre stage with low-rise bungalows blending into the luscious indigenous vegetation, on the water's edge.

Days begin with swims alongside a kaleidoscope of thousands of tropical fish, representing more than 60 reef species, in the translucent waters of King’s Pond – a 1.8-million-gallon lava-rock aquarium tended to by on-site marine biologists. The midday sun calls for a chance to indulge in an island-inspired sandalwood body cocoon at the indoor-outdoor spa, topped off with sea-to-table bento boxes served on the beach at sunset.

Trust our bespoke travel team to curate a refined golf holiday at any of these magnificent ASMALLWORLD Collection properties and many more. Paid ASMALLWORLD Members unlock preferred rates, exclusive deals and valuable VIP benefits at the world’s best luxury hotels.