When Sweetens Cove completes construction of several new golf cabins next year, it will become the latest standout course coveted by golf travelers to add on-site accommodations.

For a long time, Sweetens Cove was for only the most die-hard golf travelers. Unless your group lives within driving distance, it was tough for outsiders to justify booking a round of golf in essentially the middle of nowhere and then driving somewhere else to find a place to stay. With alcohol a regular staple of most buddies trips, especially at Sweetens Cove where a shot of whiskey starts the round, the logistics didn’t always add up.

Expansion is on the way at Sweetens Cove, located 25 minutes from Chattanooga in the Sequatchie Valley. A new short course, restaurant, distillery, putting green, fishing dock and shooting range are also in the works by 2026.

Now that Sweetens Cove is transitioning into a destination where many golfers stay and play, it got us wondering: What other golf courses would greatly benefit from adding on-site lodging for traveling golfers?

Obviously, that’s just not possible for every course. Whether it’s a lack of land or money, there are many obstacles to taking this important next step. It’s unlikely any of these courses or facilities will ever unlock their potential as a future golf resort with on-site lodging, but that doesn’t mean we can’t dream about this fantasy coming true for one intriguing story. Here’s our nominations for the five best standalone public golf courses/facilities that would benefit from adding a stay-and-play component:

Chambers Bay, University Place, Washington

Chambers Bay is, without a doubt, on everybody’s bucket list. The host of the 2015 U.S. Open remains one of America’s most interesting and inspiring walks for public golfers. Although the course is an easy get just minutes from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, without any on-site lodging, it’s really only convenient for visiting golfers on arrival or departure day. There were plans to develop a resort on the grounds overlooking the Puget Sound, but that plug was pulled in 2023. Your best bet is to book the “Championship Experience”, a golf package that includes two nights at the nearby Hotel Murano, along with additional rounds at The Home Course and one of my personal favorites, the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain.

Black Mesa Golf Club, Espanola, New Mexico

A half-hour north of Sante Fe, Black Mesa, owned by the Santa Clara Pueblo tribe, is one of golf’s most remote, highly ranked courses. The tribe-owned Santa Claran Hotel & Casino about four miles away does offer golf packages, but not everyone loves staying in a casino hotel. I could envision up to 10 low-slung, desert-colored casitas lining one of the holes as the perfect answer for buddies who want to play 54 holes in a weekend. Black Mesa is so demanding, I recommend teeing it up at least 2-3 times to figure out its nuances.

Greywalls at Marquette Golf Club, Marquette, Michigan

The Marquette Golf Club does advertise hotel options on its website, but does staying at a local Days Inn or Holiday Inn really pair well with one of the country’s most unique courses? Greywalls, designed by Michigander Mike DeVries, is a rugged natural wonder. Between the glimpses of Lake Superior and the intimidating in-your-face rock walls, the round stimulates at every turn.

Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale, New York

New Yorkers would hate this idea, but I love it. Bethpage Black, host of this fall’s Ryder Cup Matches, is called the people’s country club because it accepts all golfers. Imagine a luxurious four-story hotel on the property, serving the needs of traveling golfers who want to get roughed up by the Black one day, then feel some love on the fine Red course the next. As a government-owned, state-run facility, adding such infrastructure will never happen, althought my point stands: Any golf facility with five courses this popular should have some sort of lodging component. It just makes too much sense.

Wine Valley Golf Club, Walla Walla, Washington

I’ve heard such great things about Wine Valley, designed by under-appreciated architect Dan Hixson. It’s just too darn hard to get there from anywhere. Having fallen for what Gamble Sands has done in central Washington, I’d love to see other strong public courses on the more secluded, rural, east side of the state make a similar push to add some cabins and cater to outsiders. Stay and play hotels are available on the course’s website, so maybe someday I’ll get there.

What individual courses – rural or otherwise – would you like to see develop into a golf resort, or at least add some lodging options, for a weekend stay?