The top golf resorts in the continental U.S.: Plan your perfect fall golf getaway!

Play: The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando, Great Lakes is a beautiful Greg Norman Signature Golf Course surrounded by the woods, lakes, and wildlife of the Grande Lakes property.

• 18-hole; 7,122 yards; par 72
• Kids play free with each paying adult
• Kids' golf etiquette class for ages five to 12
• Driving range
• Practice putting green, full-size bunker, and short-game area
• Calloway- and Taylor-made clubs, and FootJoy shoes available for rent
• $145 green fee for hotel guests, (includes golf cart and driving range)
• Twilight rate of $95 after 2 p.m.

Stay: Located about 15 minutes from both Disney and Universal Studios on the beautiful (and massive) Grande Lakes resort grounds, the Ritz-Carlton Orlando is one of the best luxury hotels in the city, with swanky rooms, great pools, and a giant spa.

Play: Some of the best golf in Orlando, featuring 54 holes designed by pros even non-golfers would recognize.

• Designed by Arnold Palmer, the 6,916-yard Legacy Course has more than 50 feet of elevation change, a rarity in Florida.
• The 7,244-yard Tradition Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is notable for its 18 flat, parkland-style holes.
• The Independence Course, at 7,154 yards, has garnered a number of accolades from the golf press.
• Green fees are $180, which includes the cost of a cart.
• On-site ANNIKA Academy has golf lessons and training, including sessions with Annika Sorenstam herself -- for those that can afford her time.
• Callaway rental equipment is $50 per 18 holes.
• A clubhouse with a restaurant, bar, assorted golf gear, and locker rooms is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Stay: Just 15 minutes south of Disney, the sprawling 411-room Reunion Resort is one of Orlando's best condo resorts. Its beautiful one-bedroom villas with full kitchens, daily kids' activities, huge water park, 54 holes of golf, excellent restaurants, and polished service make it well worth the price.

Play: The Wynn Golf Club was designed by legendary course designer Tom Fazio. It is also the only 18-hole golf course on the Strip.

• It can cost $375 to play the 7,042-yard, par-70 course, but it comes with a landscape dominated by waterfalls, streams, and a forest of trees.
• Extremely well maintained
• Golf carts come stocked with beverages and there are food and beverages available on holes nine and 13. Callaway loaner clubs are available, as are caddies.
• One of the top courses in the greater Las Vegas area

Stay: The 2,716-room Wynn is one of the Strip's most extravagant luxury hotels. It features remote-controlled drapes in the giant rooms, eight premier restaurants, and of course the 18-hole golf course. The course is shared by neighboring Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, which has giant rooms that one-up even the Wynn's.

Play: Five championship courses, including the famed Blue Monster, which is used in the PGA Tour's WGC-CA Championship.

• Winner of numerous honors, including being named one of the 75 Best Golf Resorts in North America by Golf Digest, the Doral features five world-class courses, including the Blue Monster (named for the oversize lake in the middle of it), Greg Norman's Great White, and Raymond Floyd's gold course.
• The Doral also plays host to a Jim McLean golf school. Expect to pay a pretty penny for private lessons, but free lessons are run for one hour Wednesday through Sunday afternoons.
• Upwards of $175 per round in high season.

Stay: Something for everyone: for the guys, world-class golf; for the ladies, a full-service spa; for the kiddies, a 125-foot waterslide. And it's all graced with warm, friendly service in a scenic resort setting.

Play: Golf is both literally and figuratively at the center of Fisher Island life, so much so that a button on guest-room phones puts you through to the golf club for arranging tee times.

• The Pete Dye-designed course is only nine holes, but it's a stunner, with Scottish bunkers and views of the ocean, Biscayne Bay, and the Miami skyline.
• Greens fees are in addition to the resort fee and run $65 for nine holes and $125 for 18.
• Features a two-tiered driving range and practice putting green.
• Free weekly clinics are open to guests, and lessons can be scheduled throughout the week.

Stay: This 45-room Fisher Island Hotel and Resort is located among homes of the super-rich on a lush, private island that's a 10-minute ferry ride from the Miami mainland. It doesn't have the party scene, the high-design rooms, or the gourmet restaurants of the mainland luxury hotels. But its history, charm, and beautiful golf and tennis facilities make it a great choice for couples and families looking for something special.

Play: Set among 300 tropical acres, this Raymond Floyd design features two recently revamped 18-hole courses.

• Two courses, the Soffer and Miller courses
• Recently hosted the NBC/ADT Golf Skills Challenge and The Stanford International Pro Am (LPGA)
• Green Fees complimentary for guests during the summer season (June 1-September 30)
• Recently added a 64-foot waterfall (the largest in the state) to the Soffer Course 18th hole island green

Stay: An award-winning golf course, beautiful pools, elegant rooms and an amazing spa make the Fairmont Turnberry a true luxury retreat.

Play: Terranea has its own nine-hole course, "The Links." The mellow course, appropriate for all skill levels, looks over the hotel property and has views of the ocean.

• Nine holes, 1,239 yards, par 27
• $30 fee Monday through Friday, $35 on weekends, $50 for 18 holes Monday through Friday, $60 on weekends
• Clubs, pull carts available for rental
• Individual lessons $75 an hour, semiprivate lessons for two to four people $40 per person
• Trump National and Los Verdes Golf Course, both 18-hole courses, are within three miles of Terranea

Stay: One of just a few true mega-resorts in Southern California, the 100-acre, 582-room Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes offers a range of features that's unrivaled among Los-Angeles-area properties, including a top-tier spa, nine holes of golf, five restaurants, three pools, and gorgeous, manicured grounds. Plus, it opened in June 2009, so the rooms and facilities still sparkle.