Like peanut butter and jelly, ham and eggs, tea and crumpets, Sonny and Cher, Lennon and McCarthy, Brooks and Dunn, Tarzan and Jane, Donald and Daisy, David and Goliath, “Golf” and “Casinos” have entered the lexicon as ideal combinations. Las Vegas excluded, below are the five best casino golf course destinations we’ve played in the USA.

Turning Stone (Verona, NY, www.turningstone.com, 800.771.7711) – The site of a PGA Tour event (Turning Stone Resort Championship) so this course has to be good! Located in Central New York, it’s a quick trip from all major Upstate cities (Albany, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and Watertown) and minutes from the New York State Thruway. Turning Stone boasts three 18-hole courses over its 1200-acre property including designs by Tom Fazio and Robert Trent Jones Jr. Beginner golfers have the option of two nine-hole courses. 21 restaurants dot the premises but out-of-towners can visit one of the several Wegmans’ grocery stores in the area. The famed grocery store chain began in Rochester and locals know it’s one of the tastiest and more affordable places (think – you can spend more money on the casino floor) in Central New York!

Sweetgrass Island Resort (Harris, MI, www.islandresortandcasino.com, 800-682-6040) – If awards equated rankings on this list, then the Sweetgrass Golf Course – part of the Island Resort & Casino – would surely be higher. In just more than a year of existence, the course placed on Golfweek’s “Best to Play in State,” “Best New Courses” and “Best Casino Courses” lists. 24/7 Vegas style gaming – including tables games, a poker room and more than 1,400 slot machines – abounds on the property with its brand-new Island Resort Showroom that welcomes musical guests like Foreigner, Rick Springfield and Huey Lewis and the News. Located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, it’s worth making a trip to play this brand-new Paul Albanese designed course which subtly incorporates the area’s Native American heritage.

Circling Raven (Worley, ID, http://www.cdacasino.com 800-523-2464) – This Gene Bates design in the Idaho panhandle has garnered scores of awards since its first full season (2004). At the top are two prestigious, biennial awards – Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses 2009-10” and GOLF Magazine’s “Top 100 Courses You Can Play 2008-09.” The western-themed Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel abuts the course and both are tribally owned by the Coeur d’Alenes. The casino offers 1,800 slot machines for play, computer table games like Blackjack, off-track betting for horse and dog races, high-stakes bingo, and name entertainment and sporting events. The resort is regularly voted the most popular casino in the Inland Northwest. Throw in the glorious beauty of the Pacific Northwest and you’ve hit the golf-and-gaming jackpot.

Mississippi (www.visitmississippi.org, 866-801-8551) – The third-largest gaming destination in the U.S. – thanks to many casino resorts and courses in Tunica (up north), Biloxi on the Gulf Coast, and various points in between. Dancing Rabbit Golf Club, an amenity of the Pearl River Resort in Central Mississippi, has 36 holes designed by Tom Fazio-Jerry Pate, two casinos, three hotels, and a slew of other resort amenities. On the Gulf Coast, The Preserve (Jerry Pate, Palace Casino Resort), Grand Bear (Jack Nicklaus, Harrah’s Grand Casino Biloxi), Windance (Mark McCumber, Island View Casino), and majestic Fallen Oak (Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Fazio) are excellent options. Tunica, in the northern part of the state, is home to an array of fine casinos and courses, including the Links at Cottonwoods (Hale Irwin), an amenity of Harrah’s Grand Casino Tunica; Tunica National Golf & Tennis Club (Mark McCumber), and River Bend Links are located near 10 Vegas style casino hotels.

Mount Airy (Mount Pocono, PA, www.mountairycasino.com, 877.MTAIRY1) – Just 90 miles from Manhattan but a world away in this resort nestled in the lush, tranquil Pocono Mountains. Why fight the New Jersey traffic to Atlantic City when you can play the challenging yet fair championship course at Mount Airy and still enjoy the high-rolling lifestyle with more than 2,500 slots, poker, Blackjack and roulette? Live it up at the one of the four bars / lounges on-site or relax in the indulgent spa. If you prefer to play – golf that is – more than 30 additional courses proliferate the four-county region of the Pocono Mountains. A.W. Tillinghast, Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones designed gems are all within an hour’s drive.