Featured Stop: Hot Springs Village

An affordable, low-key, numerous-options-for-golf, outdoor retreat? That’ll play.

Hot Springs Village in central Arkansas is all of that, a gated community with 153 holes of public golf—that’s seven 18-hole courses and a 27-holer—located 45 minutes from Little Rock.

What you’ll get across those holes is a range of topography and golf styles. Some hills and elevation change. Some picturesque lakes and rocky streams. The Granada is scenic and big. The Coronado is a quick, par-62 jaunt. The tree-lined Cortez is the “shot-maker’s course” while the Desoto is score-able. The Diamante Course is consistently ranked among the best in Arkansas—but it’s private, so you’ll need to schmooze a member or, um, show interest in moving to the community.

Are you going to get world–class golf course architecture? Maybe not, but that’s not why you’re taking this trip. This is about golf variety and pure conditions and some good ol’ fashioned midwestern fun.

And, yeah, part of the draw here is the affordability. Greens fees range from $65 to $119 for guests, and where you’ll really cash-in is gathering a big group for a stay at a sweet, laid-back lake house. With a dozen people, this one—including optional boat access—comes out to a wallet-friendly 40 bucks per night. Beyond the golf, there are many options to enhance the stay. Think, 11 surrounding lakes with easy access to boating and fishing, more than a dozen restaurant options, and a casino a short drive away. Oh yeah, that’ll play.

This piece originally ran in the GTG newsletter. Subscribe here for free and get pricing details alongside the weekly featured stop—plus news on openings, redesigns, and more—in your inbox each Thursday afternoon.