I like playing golf outside North America and am partial to Ireland and Australia in particular but have also done multiple trips to New Zealand and Scotland, one five week trip to Spain and Portugal, and a few trips to different locations in Asia. I have played over 160 different courses outside of North America and a couple hundred different courses in the U.S.
So I go to Ireland (11 trips to date) and Australia (12 trips to date) a couple of times a year. I now go to a primary destination in each country where I spend most of my time. After three trips to each country, I had a pretty good sense of places I wanted to go to over and over and which courses I didn't get tired of playing. For me, Donegal in Ireland and the Mornington Peninsula offered a good concentration of quality courses. Donegal in Ireland is in a remote area but traveling there can mean a stopover on the way to or from. The Mornington Peninsula offers access to the Sandbelt area which most people think of as the main place to play on a first trip.
I opt for extended stays and like the golf culture of both Australia and Ireland, as well as the courses. I've played over 30 different courses in Ireland and close to 40 in Australia but now play about 90 percent of my golf at one club in Ireland and one in Australia. Both clubs have multiple courses in wide open spaces with other playing options not far away.
I selected the places to travel back to over and over largely because I felt welcomed by the people and the clubs. With respect to both destinations, there were options for play offered that were compatible with my preferences. I get a lot of variety due to changing weather in both places, with large bodies of water near both areas, the Atlantic Ocean in the case of Ireland and the Bass Strait in Australia. Both are in areas that have massive open space, so there is little feeling of claustrophobia.
I like playing new courses but am fine with the comfort of familiarity. Playing new courses opened up doors for me that led me to go to places far away and return over and over. Had I not played so many new courses, it would never have occurred to me to look at other options.
I share this because it is an option that worked for me, because I am not that encumbered with responsibilities at this phase of my life and am comfortable with solo golf travel.
Charles Lund