Families

You’re trying to stretch your hard-earned dollars. You don’t want getting there to be half the fun—you want to be there with your family, pronto. You also want a relaxed vibe where you feel like you run the joint. Can’t-miss stay-and-play deals? Yes, please, made all the more alluring by the fact that the golf’s really good, as are the pool, the beach and the local attractions. Once again, the name of the game? Fun!

1. Big Cedar Lodge RIDGEDALE, MO

302 private accommodations / 58 holes of golf / spa / pool / 12 restaurants / loads of outdoor pursuits

Best time to go: Though it’s a year-round resort, go in the spring and early summer for the best weather. Daily stay-and-plays start at: $218. Golf experience: Two 18-hole layouts (Ozarks National, Buffalo Ridge Springs), one par-3 nine-hole course (Top of the Rock), and a 13-hole, short course (Mountain Top). Best non-golf amenity: The Bass Pro Shops Shooting Academy is a dream for shooting enthusiasts. While you’re there: Sample the horseback riding, boat cruises, fishing—what else would you expect from Johnny Morris, creator of Big Cedar Lodge and founder of Bass Pro Shops. Insider tip: The Arnold Palmer Practice Facility is lots of fun—and only accessible to those who play Top of the Rock.

Travelogue: Big Cedar is a wilderness resort through and through, chockful of outdoor activities primed for any Bass Pro Shop or Cabela’s acolyte. Situated about 10 miles from Branson, the young resort has quickly become one of the country’s preeminent golf destinations. In addition to the courses and amenities that already carry such name associations as Nicklaus, Palmer, Watson, Player, Fazio, and Coore/Crenshaw, Tiger will join that illustrious group when his Payne’s Valley course opens in 2020.

Also good for: Buddies

bigcedar.com [phone]

2. Colonial Williamsburg Resort WILLIAMSBURG, VA

Five hotels / 81 holes of golf / 21 restaurants / spas / pools