Artificial intelligence, or AI, is threatening to make many jobs obsolete—but are travel agents, travel advisors and tour operators going to be among them? Can AI plan your next vacation? To find out, I took a golf travel test drive in Scottsdale.

The Rise of AI In Travel

I’ve been pitched by marketers recently on AI powered hotel booking and selection engines, AI powered itinerary builders, AI concierges, and one very respected UK travel marketing expert predicted late last year that, “In 2025, we’ll see generative AI creating immersive, interactive travel itineraries designed to fit the intricate preferences of the ultra-high-net-worth individual.”

I have been experimenting with AI, both in travel and more concretely measurable areas, and right now, the humans in travel don’t have all that much to be worried about. While researching a story on Las Vegas sports for a magazine, I plugged “timeline of major Las Vegas sporting events” into AI and got a laundry list—half of which never actually happened. Some appear to have been planned or proposed yet never came to fruition, but if someone wrote about it, even using their imagination, AI bought in and added it.

In addition to using data from completely made-up sources, it also selects from popular crowd sourcing sites, which rarely have the best info, and instead goes for the most popular, which is often the lowest common denominator. Bear in mind that the most popular restaurant in the United States is McDonalds, but that does not mean it is what you are searching for when looking for a place to eat. When I run an AI search for best restaurants in my town, I get a list that is suspiciously nearly identical to Top 10 on Yelp, which is never where I would go for dining travel recommendations.

Now that I get AI responses to every search every day in addition to the regular search engine responses, I continually see wrong answers, misinformation and completely wacky stuff, like answers to questions completely different than what I asked. And as you will see shortly, a little of this wacky insanity found its way into my recent golf travel experiment.

I have written a lot over the years on why travel agents are important, why any frequent traveler should be using them, and how a good one makes so many aspects of a trip better, and I stand by that—especially when things go wrong, like flight cancelations or emergencies. You can read more about the pros of using an agent or advisor here at Forbes.

Originally, before AI, it was widely predicted that this profession was going to be put out of business by the internet, and instead it grew dramatically, Travel experts still know way more than AI about destinations and hotels, especially new, planned and emerging ones, and hidden gems, as AI still needs someone to have written something to find it, and if its new or novel that’s likely not the case. It scours the web for existing data, including near useless crowd sourced reviews, which often include “reviews” by people who didn’t actually go and fakes by properties or their competition.

Italy recently passed a new law against fake travel online reviews due to the massive economic impact and the Telegraph reported that countries including Russia, India and the Philippines had “review farms” paid to post fake reviews. They reported that just one site, Tripadvisor, had to remove 1.3 million fake reviews in 2023, and business site Travel & Mobility Tech (TNMT) reports that fake reviews on travel doubled just from 2022 to 2023.

At the end of the day, I found no better way to test this than by actually using AI to plan a trip and see what happens. I did just that recently for a long weekend luxury golf trip to Scottsdale, Arizona.

Why Scottsdale Golf?

Why this particular trip? Because it is a topic I already know inside out, allowing me to evaluate the AI version as opposed to a place where I can’t tell if the suggestions are good or bad. I cannot even remember how many times I have been to Scottsdale to play golf. In addition, Scottsdale is an ultra-prime weekend (or longer) golf travel destination, so this is a search a lot of people will be doing.

I have been covering golf travel in depth for 30 years, and Scottsdale has always been one of the best destinations, especially for long weekends. For starters, it has one of the biggest collections of standout public golf course in any concise area, including an unrivalled selection of top desert courses, one of the most strikingly beautiful and unique ecosystems for golf. Scottsdale has dozens of first-rate courses open to the public, plus many great resorts and famously good weather, with more than 330 days of sunshine and an average yearly temperature of 70 degrees.

In fact, Scottsdale’s self-proclaimed nickname is no less than the “World’s Finest Golf Destination,” and while the Scots might take exception to that, it is certainly one of the top golf vacation spots. Golf has been played here for about a century, and according to the tourism board, there are 51 courses in the city proper and 200 more around the larger “Valley of the Sun.” The tourism board actually has a very detailed and helpful site for planning golf travel compared to most destinations.

There are several Forbes 4 and 5-Star resorts, spas and restaurants, it is easy to get to, has good food, and hosts the most attended golf tournament in the world, the annual “Greatest Show on Grass,” the Waste Management Phoenix Open. If you go when it is hot, it is one of the great bargains in all golf travel (more on this below). Golf here can often be combined with other marquee travel events, from the Super Bowl (now and then) to annual Major League Baseball Spring Training (right now!), NFL and NBA games, the famed Barrett-Jackson Collector Car auction and others. You can go during the big golf tournament in February and watch some great professional action while playing elsewhere—on =even better layouts. In short, it is one of the top choices for anyone looking for a long weekend luxury golf trip, and AI has plenty of ammunition to work with.

Specifically, we asked both Chat GPT and Meta’s Cloverfield several months ago to plan the “Perfect Luxury Scottsdale Fall Golf Getaway” for a 2-night, 3-day trip in October, then I analyzed their combined recommendations. However, in retrospect I should have done 3 nights/4-days, a more typical long weekend with two non-travel days and potential for one or two more rounds of golf, but the results are still very representative.

Chat GPT

According to the engine, “This itinerary balances excellent golf, relaxation, and great dining for an unforgettable fall golf getaway.”

Day 1: It told me to arrive in Scottsdale, ideally early enough to maximize the day (good advice), and stay at the Phoenician (“It’s centrally located, offering a top-notch spa, pool, and golf course on-site.”); have lunch at Olive & Ivy along the Scottsdale waterfront; kick things off with a warm-up round at The Phoenician Golf Club; then enjoy dinner at FnB Restaurant.

Day 2: Play a round at Troon North Golf Club, choosing either the Pinnacle or Monument course; have lunch at Troon North’s Dynamite Grille; unwind at the Joya Spa at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia; Head to The Mission in Old Town Scottsdale for dinner. “It’s a modern Latin restaurant with a vibrant ambiance. Try the tableside guacamole and their famous pork shoulder.”

Day 3: Play at TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course, home of the Phoenix Open; grab lunch at The Vig at McDowell Mountain, “a laid-back spot with outdoor seating, perfect for a post-golf wrap-up”; Before heading to the airport, take a stroll through Old Town Scottsdale for last-minute shopping or visit the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art if time permits.

Chat also provided one alternative lodging suggestion, The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess instead of the Phoenician.

Cloverfield

Day 1: Arrive and check-in at “a luxurious golf resort like the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess or the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North”; Play one of the two layouts at Troon North Golf Club; Head to Old Town Scottsdale for dinner and drinks “at one of the many restaurants and bars, like Craft 64 or The House Brasserie.”

Day 2: Play Grayhawk Golf Club’s Raptor Course; relax at the resort’s spa or pool or explore the McDowell Sonoran Preserve’s hiking trails; dinner at “a top-rated restaurant like FnB or Virtù Honest Craft.”

Day 3: Play TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course, “home of the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open”; Depart for the airport or “extend your stay to explore more of Scottsdale’s golf courses, shopping, and attractions.”

My Take

The best AI information was probably Cloverfield’s suggestion to extend the stay and enjoy more of what Scottsdale offers.

The AI issue of popular rather than best is immediately apparent, and starts with the selection of golf courses, which then drives the lodging and the rest of the itinerary. What the two engines had in common was picking the high-profile Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale, which gets a lot of press, and thus online presence, because it hosts the hugely popular Waste Management Phoenix Open tournament. I predicted and would have bet heavily that AI would choose this venue, but if a friend asked me the same weekend golf travel question, I would not.

I recently played a golf course in Florida that was considered for a PGA Tour event but eventually passed over because it did not have room for stands and spectators along some of the holes. That has zero to do with the quality or enjoyment of the course for traveling golfers, and in many cases, tournament venues are chosen for reasons like ample parking more than quality. In the case of the TPC Scottsdale, it is a fantastic venue for spectators, with great sightlines and ease of movement, and one of the best places you can go and watch golf in person, but that is not the same as playing. There are at least ten Scottsdale area public courses I would pick before this one, most of them cheaper, and the major golf publications agree with me. My experience with AI in travel has been more sizzle than steak, and this is the case with letting it plan the perfect Scottsdale golf weekend.

To be clear, it’s hard to go wrong with a golf trip to Scottsdale, and you’d have fun staying at any of the listed resorts and playing the TPC Course, Phoenician and Grayhawk, all of them relatively high profile even for golf-rich Scottsdale. But are they the three top picks for the “perfect” trip? No.

Both engines picked the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, the only lodging overlap between the two. I have stayed there several times and thoroughly enjoyed it, a pleasant resort with nice spa, wide range of amenities and standout dining options, including star chef Richard Sandoval’s wonderful Asian/Latin fusion spot Toro and an outpost of star chef Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak. But I’m guessing AI picked the Fairmont primarily because it is home to the TPC Course, and thus very convenient for guests playing it. Likewise, ChatGPT picked the Phoenician for both lodging and playing, in part because of “on-site” golf, but its course, while perfectly pleasant, is not one of Scottsdale’s standouts, and if you are driven by golf, it would make more sense to stay at one of the top golf resorts with both excellent lodging and golf. I like the Phoenician, which has both the Forbes 4-Star main hotel and the 5-star Canyon Suites hotel within the hotel, arguably the area’s best luxury lodging. But for a golf-focused weekend it just isn’t the most efficient pick.

A clearer indication of just how confused AI can be when it comes to planning travel is illustrated by Chat GPT’s ridiculous suggestion that while staying at the Phoenician, which has the only Forbes 4-Star spa in Scottsdale, you should forego the property and make an extra trip, driving or Ubering over to the Omni (which doesn’t have golf) to use their spa, which makes no sense whatsoever.

Back to the golf.

In three days, you would have time to play no more than three to four rounds, and four would include 36-holes on the non-travel day. If you extend it to a 4-day long weekend, which I suggest, than you would have 4-6 rounds, assuming in both cases that you play on day of arrival and departure and one to two in rounds daily in between. So, if someone asked me to plan the same “perfect” golf weekend, I would start with the very best golf courses, up to six of them, and work around that.

The best two public courses here are at We-Ko-Pa, a native American casino resort east of the city. However, I would not stay there, and it is a bit of a drive from any of the top properties. The closest great option would be Talking Stick, another Native American property that has two excellent golf courses and a very nice, large casino hotel. Talking Stick is centrally located in the middle of the city, convenient to the airport and Old Town Scottsdale. While it is not as luxurious as other high-end Scottsdale golf resorts, it is often much less expensive, has gaming and entertainment, and is one of the nicest casino resorts I have stayed outside of Las Vegas.

Between We-Ko-Pa and Talking Stick you have four of the very best public courses in the area, including three designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, currently among the hottest architects in all of golf, the names behind countless Top 100 courses at Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley, Streamsong and so on. Coore and Crenshaw designed both courses at Talking Stick and Saguaro at We-Ko-Pa, which is the highest ranked in all of Arizona on Golf Magazine’s Top 100 You Can Play, and also the top local pick for Golf Digest. Talking Stick North is the only other Arizona course to make the Golf Magazine list. But magazine critics love Coore and Crenshaw, and I actually think the Scott Miller-designed Cholla is the better course and the very best in town. It’s also notable that in a city almost exclusively reliant on carts, the four courses at We-Ko-Pa and Talking Stick are walkable exceptions, and I always prefer walking.

But there is some appeal to staying where you play, which is what both AI engines exclusively went for with their picks. So, if that is your thing, the two best options more luxurious than Talking Stick would be The Boulders, a luxury resort with two great desert courses and standout lodging, and the nearby Troon North, which both AI engines picked. Just for golf quality I’d give the Boulders a small edge here, but Troon North has two very good courses and the Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North, easily one of the best places to stay. Choosing either the Four Seasons or Boulders gives a convenient combination of accommodations, spa, food and access to four of the very best golf courses in greater Scottsdale. If you are willing to drive, Uber or Lyft over to We-Ko-Pa, about 45-minutes, or Talking Stick, 30 minutes, you would truly have the perfect golf slate for Scottsdale, with eight standout courses, all of which, in my informed opinion, are better than any course either AI engine selected.

That being said, if you did either of the AI itineraries you would thoroughly enjoy yourself, but if it comes down to the best possible travel, AI just isn’t there yet. Of course, you could stay at the Phoenician or Fairmont and still play all the courses I picked, that would be a great trip. You could also stay in Old Town Scottsdale and enjoy being able to walk around the neighborhood for dinner and drinks after returning from golf. Both AI engines picked this charming district as a post-golf attraction, and they got that right. Forbes recently ran a story on nightlife in Old Town that may be helpful.

As far as the other AI recommendations, I have not eaten at FnB which both engines choose, but I am totally on board with the pick for the Mission, which is excellent. However, I am surprised that neither mentioned Kai, Scottsdale’s only Forbes 5-Star restaurant and generally considered the big night out option.

Can AI plan your next vacation? My verdict is, at least for now, take it for a spin if you are curious, but don’t rely on it. Instead, ask a savvy travel agent, or a friend who knows golf, or someone with expertise in whatever kind of travel you are planning. Life is short, and to the degree your budget allows, every trip should be as “perfect” as possible, and Scottsdale is a perfect place to go play golf.

Scottsdale’s Secret Golf Season

One more bit of golf travel advice I want to relay as long as we are talking Scottsdale. It’s a very popular winter destination, because there are few places in the U.S. with as reliable golf weather when the snow flies everywhere else, and this is pricey high season. But in summer, when it gets quite hot, often over 100°, prices plummet, and I mean plummet.

A few years ago, I did a feature for USA Today on how to play America’s best golf courses at steep discounts and there was no more dramatic example than summer in Scottsdale, when major resorts offer stay and play packages with room and golf, often for less than just winter greens fees. Golf prices drop by more than half, sometimes more than three quarters, and if you have the stomach for 36-holes in the heat, even better replay rates let you play some of the most discounted standout golf anywhere in the world. Room rates go down as well.

It really is a dry heat after all, and I’ve suffered more playing at home in New England in the summer when it is ninety and 95% humidity than in 105° in Scottsdale. You are in a golf cart with shade and plenty of water, at a resort with extensive pool complexes, so if great golf and nice hotels are something you like, but you don’t love paying top dollar, summer in Scottsdale should be on your to-do list. The value proposition is nearly impossible to beat—especially given that it is peak season at many of the world’s top golf destinations.