Although Legend Trail Golf Club has won numerous awards, it still gets lost with so many world-class golf courses in the Scottsdale, Arizona area. While Legend Trail may not be a photographic wonder or a course everyone talks about, it can be proud of what it is -- a friendly desert layout, Scott Bordow writes.
Wicked Stick Golf Links has stayed true to its blue-collar appeal. In many ways, it’s in the style of one of its co-creators, John Daly. Located on the south end of Myrtle Beach, the club attracts golfers of all skill levels. True to its roots, the course provides an open links style with plenty of room for error. The motto of the course, after all, is ‘Grip It and Rip It.’ Getting beat up isn’t part of the equation.
Twenty-five years passed from the time Jack Nicklaus constructed La Paloma Country Club (1984) to the opening of Dove Mountain (2009), two of the top courses in the Tucson, Ariz. area. His maturation as a course designer is evident in the evolution of his designs and further evidence of how the Tucson golf scene has grown up as well, Scott Bordow writes.
As Hawaii’s largest island, a trip to the Big Island comes with its unique challenges. But those who choose ‘Big’ will be rewarded with the most ecologically diverse island - and one with some seriously good golf and luxury resorts. Mike Bailey offers up some island advice.
The 15th on the South Course at Mauna Lani Resort is one of the most photographed holes in the world, but it isn’t the only reason to visit this golf course on the Big Island. There are other ocean holes on this Hawaii favorite, and the inland holes here are fairly memorable as well, Mike Bailey writes.
PGA Tour pros live a pretty pampered life, following the sun from one fabulous resort destination to the next. If the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess can impress them, it can certainly do the same for any guest. The staff will make sure of it.
Royal Course at Ka’anapali Golf Resort on Maui gets the majority of the rave reviews. But players need to remember its sister Kai Course is also a tremendous challenge. From breathtaking views and scenery to enough rolling fairways and undulating greens, it’s a course that will leave you wanting more, especially in the wake of recent renovations by Robin Nelson.
Some of the most pleasant golf course experiences in the Tampa area come thanks to mature, mossy oaks shading the fairways. Pebble Creek Golf Club offers not only a preserve-like setting for golf but also a low-key, friendly environment that makes any golfer feel like they’re at their home club.
Bobby Weed has done some fine work in northeast Florida. Surprisingly, some of Weed’s best holes can be found on a relatively unknown place south of Jacksonville called The Golf Club at Fleming Island, a residential course that’s popular with the locals. Don’t let its residential setting scare you -- there aren’t many houses to detract from its natural setting among the pines and swamps. In fact, some might even argue Fleming Island is the best of his three, more well known (and more expensive) Florida courses.
At 6,825 yards, the Emerald Course at Wailea Golf Club has plenty of distance to challenge even the best players. But it’s not the length that will catch your eye. It’s the design. There are Pacific Ocean and Mount Haleakala views everywhere on this course that features winding fairways, elevation changes, well bunkered greens and consistent course conditions. With no housing, it’s just you and a four-hour golf outing that will tantalize the senses.
There are two golf courses at Kona Country Club on the Big Island -- the Ocean and the Mountain. But if you want cool ocean views, the Mountain -- not the Ocean -- is where you’ll want to play. The course, as its name would imply, certainly has a mountain feel, but it also has a mountain viewpoint, meaning that the best seats in the house are often the highest. From just about every point on the Mountain Course, you can see the ocean below. The views never get old, but you need to pay attention to the course if you expect to play well.
Architect Clyde Johnston built just enough unique features on Eagle Landing at Oakleaf Plantation to stand out among the best golf courses on the south side of Jacksonville, Florida. Johnston deserves kudos for designing a 7,037-yard layout that rewards good shots and doesn’t devour bad ones, Jason Scott Deegan writes.
There are plenty of places to lose a ball at Cimarrone Golf Club, located along the southern border of Jacksonville, just 10 minutes from the World Golf Village. All 18 holes feature water or wetland of some type. Still, architect David Postlethwait took what the Florida swamp gave him and did his best to make Cimarrone more forgiving than its tough-guy image implies. There are few forced carries, and with five sets of tees, players can move up if things start to go sour.
Lakeway Resort and Spa holds its own among the top resorts in Texas with its own distinct amenities, including access to three private golf courses. The resort’s location boasts something that is unique to itself, though: a one-of-a-kind setting perched on the banks of Lake Travis in the Texas Hill Country just west of Austin. Taking on its own ambiance, Lakeway invites a cozy, more club-like vibe where guests feel they have the run of the joint.
Cool mountain breezes, sheep and goats aren’t normally associated with Hawaii golf, but that’s just what you get when you play Big Island Country Club. With recent improvements and a terrific setting, any golf trip to the Big Island should include a stop at Big Island C.C. It isn’t the only mountain golf course in Hawaii, but it’s certainly one of the most unique, Mike Bailey writes.
It doesn’t get as much recognition as the Copperhead or Island Courses, but the South Course at Innisbrook Golf & Spa Resort deserves in Palm Harbor its place right up there with its more publicized sister courses. With tight fairways, some water and closely guarded greens, the South Course is worth your time, Jeff Berlinicke writes.
The weather might have been a little chilly, but the fun was hot at the Winter ParAm Golf Tournament held at Royal Links Golf Club. For the most part, the tournament itself was the sideshow. The real star of this event was the pairing up of some 90 players with Parmates -- who are like caddies, except much hotter (think models, dancers and Vegas performers). Music, impromptu dancing, a trivia contest, food, drinks, great company and, afterwards, a reception at Royal Links’ Scottish castle-style clubhouse that went for hours, made for a memorable day.
People love the beautiful beaches, dunes and marshland -- all set against the vast Atlantic -- on this small barrier island just 50 minutes northwest of the Jacksonville International Airport. But life indoors at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island can be pretty stimulating, too. A continuous $65-million renovation since 2006 has revitalized this grand beachfront resort, refurbishing all 445 rooms and suites, building a new spa and rebranding the dining scene.
The Grand Strand is a 90-mile stretch from Pawleys Island, S.C., that sneaks up into North Carolina with Myrtle Beach at the epicenter. But if you head north or south from Myrtle Beach, which area has the better golf for your group? Jason Scott Deegan investigated, and this is what he found.
The Copperhead Course is the most well known of the four at Innisbrook Golf and Spa Resort. That’s because Copperhead is where the PGA Tour’s Transitions Championship is played every March. Copperhead is a worthy host and is a must-play course for anyone who travels to the Tampa Bay area, Jeff Berlinicke writes.
It’s hard to fathom that the first golf course built on the Big Island of Hawaii, Mauna Kea Golf Course on the Kona side of the island, is arguably still the best. Built on the fields of lava by the sea at the base of one of the world’s tallest mountains, Mauna Kea didn’t maintain its lofty status by remaining pat. One of the original designer’s sons, Rees Jones, did what he does best: He restored this 1965 Robert Trent Jones Sr. classic to perfection and added a few modern touches.
Sporting a diverse playing terrain, the Coachella Valley in southern California charts among the most unique golf pockets in the United States. The area also has a plethora of diverse courses for any price range. Here’s a breakdown of how to plan your Palm Springs golf vacation on three different budgets.
When it comes to great resort golf courses, Hawaii certainly doesn’t have a shortage of them. The Aloha State landed eight courses -- half designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. -- on Golfweek Magazine’s 2012 list of best resort courses, second only to California. Which Hawaii courses made the list? Mike Bailey has the answer.
Few courses have hosted the pros longer than Doral Golf Resort & Spa’s storied TPC Blue Monster. The iconic Miami resort celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2012. Doral looks better than it has in years. There’s a commitment to top conditioning year-round at all five courses, not just tournament week on the Blue Monster, and a $16 million renovation added elements previously missing, and upgraded others. Doral isn’t getting any younger, but she sure doesn’t look like an old maid.
