There are a lot of great reasons to go on vacation to Greece, but until very recently golf was not one of them. In fact, Greece has long had the least golf of the most popular countries in Europe, lagging far behind hotbeds of the sport such as Spain, Portugal, France and of course, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Even lesser-known spots such as Italy, Switzerland and Turkey have had a lot more to offer golfers (Turkey is a hidden gem golf destination offering great value, and I wrote about it in detail at Forbes last year). But one bold new development has suddenly put this popular paradise on the global radar, and Greece is a hot new golf travel destination for 2025 and beyond.
Why Greece?
The timing could not be any better, as Greece has exploded in popularity with U.S. travelers. The weather, food, islands, beaches, history, culture, a huge slate of new hotels and restaurants and the strong dollar have all conspired to drive record visits. 2023 was an all-time record year for tourism, unprecedented at the time, but 2024 jumped another 22.4% to nearly 42 million visitors—four for every Greek resident. The American market has become so big that once seasonal non-stop flights are now going year-round, and it is easier to get to Greece than ever.
Golf-Plus: Two Vacations In One Trip
I love golf, but I love a lot of things about travel. There are just a handful of destinations you can go if you want to play World Top 100 ranked courses and focus entirely on golf, especially places like Scotland or Ireland. Playing only the world’s very best courses is a highly restrictive way to go about things, with extremely limited options. But if you are happy to also play very good golf courses, this opens up an entire another tier of vacations I like to call “Golf-Plus.”