Par 3 in South Africa gives new meaning to 'extreme' golf hole

When you think of amazing par 3s, the 12th at Augusta, the 17th at Cypress Point and the 17th at Sawgrass come to mind.

While the Legend Golf Resort & Safari in South Africa doesn't have the pedigree of an Augusta or Cypress Point, it can lay claim to one of the most extreme par 3s in the world.

The Extreme 19th hole starts with a helicopter ride up the Hanglip Mountain to a tee 1,410 feet above the green. Players then hit to an Africa-shaped green below with a large waste bunker surrounding it. There are three sets of tees, so club selection will vary, but when Padraig Harrington played it, he nailed a driver into the bunker and got up and down to record the first par on the hole.

Several other top pros have played the extreme hole, including Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose and Retief Goosen (pictured).

Four different cameras allow you to track the ball's flight pattern, and scores are kept on a leaderboard at legendgolfsafari.com. No one has made a birdie yet.

Two lucky golfers begin tour of extreme golf courses

What does it feel like to play golf in 122-degree heat? What happens to your game when you're 10,800 feet above sea level? Lindsay Knowlton and Josh Sullivan are about to find out.

Both work for TaylorMade-adidas and were chosen to test their games in the most extreme conditions around the world.

Starting today with a kickoff at the company's headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif., Knowlton and Sullivan, who both have single-digit handicaps, will travel to five courses in the Southern Hemisphere, learn about local cultures and participate in several thrill-seeking adventures.

They will be blogging about their adventures at wearintheworld.adidasgolf.com and Golf.com, as well as filing Twitter and Facebook updates. Golf.com's style expert Woody Hochswender has a preview of some of the gear the pair will use in the extreme environments. 

Here's a list of the extreme courses Knowlton and Sullivan will be playing:

Furnace Creek, Calif.: The world's lowest elevation golf course at 214 ft. below sea level.

LaPaz Golf Club, Bolivia: The world's highest elevation course at 10,800 ft. above sea level.

Ushuaia, Argentina: The world's southern-most 18-hole golf course.

Walker Bay Golf Resort, South Africa: Africa's southern-most golf course.

Alice Springs, Australia: The world's hottest golf course. Temperatures can exceed 122 degrees.

Cozumel Country Club: The Day of the Iguana

If you're ever on a cruise ship down Cozumel (Mexico) way, bring your sticks. The Cozumel Country Club — about a 15-minute taxi ride from the cruise port — is a highly playable alternative to a day spent in town haggling for merchandise.

Last week I made my second visit to the club, during a cruise on Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas. The cruise line had offered an excursion to the club at a rate of $169, green fees and transportation included. There's a pro shop, snack bar and practice range. The staff was courteous and friendly.

On my first visit there two years before, I had found the course a little ragged, but this year it was in very good condition. A Jack Nicklaus design, it's also the first course in Mexico to be designated a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Easy for them to say! Right on the first tee you are confronted with a sign that reads: DANGER!!! CROCODILES!!! CAUTION DO NOT RETRIEVE BALLS FROM WATER FEATURES.

Since my entire game is predicated on hitting balls into "water features,"  I knew this would cost me a few strokes. The crocodile who in 2007 had lurked smack dab in the middle of the sand trap on the par-3 12th was not on view this time, having retreated to the adjacent pond, but we did have to stop our carts often to avoid squashing the iguanas crossing our paths. The distances between some of the greens and the following tees are daunting, making this a tough walk for those so inclined. On some of the rides through the jungle (especially between 17 and 18), I felt like I was in the remake of The Bridge on the River Kwai.

My partners were a couple named Chris and Phil Woods from London, England. We played from the whites (5,624 yards, 66.7 slope/114 rating). The toughest tests come toward the end. No. 16 (in Mayan, Hol Waklahun — but of course you knew that) is a par 5, a dogleg left bisected by a 90-yard deep mangrove that prompts a layup from the shorter hitters. (Like yours truly.) There's another mangrove on the twisty No. 18 (Hol Waxaklahun); this one must be carried off the tee. Frazzled by that time, I slapped my drive right into the grove. Phil had no such trouble; with a solid par, he capped off a round that also included six birdies.

All in all, a welcome break from the all-you-can-eatathon of the cruise.

For more information: cozumelcountryclub.com

(Photo: Dick Friedman)

Ask Travelin Joe: Palm Desert, California and High Point, North Carolina

If you want to ask Travelin' Joe a question, e-mail him at askjoe@golf.com.

Dear Joe,
We're taking our annual buddies trip to Palm Desert, California this year. We're open to all types of courses and price ranges, but we like to play the best courses in the area when we travel. Any recommendations?
-- Martin Tardif, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

You definitely won't suffer a drought of quality courses in this desert. Start with PGA West's Stadium course ($99-$159; 760-564-5729, pgawest.com), a brute that will give you bragging rights back home.

La Quinta Resort's Mountain course ($89-$139; 760-564-5729, laquintaresort.com) is another Pete Dye test worth seeing.

Desert Willow's Firecliff ($110-$145; 760-346-7060, desertwillow.com) is a great upscale muni.

Finally, check out Indian Wells Resort's Celebrity course ($120-$155; 760-346-4653, indianwellsresort.com).

Hey Joe,
I'm going with the family to High Point, NC for a couple of days. What are the best courses within about 20 miles? The budget will be about $200 for both rounds.
-- Jesse Whitmire, via e-mail

Play Tanglewood Park's Championship course ($28-$48; 336-778-6300) in nearby Clemmons. This tough, 7,000-yard Trent Jones Sr. effort hosted the 1974 PGA Championship, when Lee Trevino edged Jack Nicklaus to win. Its sibling, the Reynolds, is shorter, tighter and even cheaper — pocket the savings!

November Reigns Value

Save $230
Barton Creek Resort & Spa
Austin, Texas

Texas-style buddy trips don't come much better than the Guys Golf Getaway. Included are lodging, breakfast, a welcome bucket of beer, chips and salsa, and unlimited golf on Tom Fazio, Arnold Palmer and Coore/Crenshaw courses. Rates start at $191 per person, per night, double occupancy, with an eight-person (two-foursome) minimum and a three-night required stay. Upgrades and add-ons available. 866-572-7369, bartoncreek.com

Save $240
Pinehurst Resort
Pinehurst, N.C.

Pinehurst's "$222 on No. 2" will be offered Nov. 8 through March 6 and includes accommodations, Pinehurst Resort's popular buffet breakfast and a round of golf on famed No. 2 –- site of the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open. 800-487-4653, pinehurst.com

Save $250
Verdura Golf & Spa Resort
Sicily, Italy

Getting to Sicily isn't cheap, but once you're there, your euro will have legs with the Introductory Package at this new Rocco Forte resort. Included is unlimited play on 45 holes of Kyle Phillips-designed seaside golf, complimentary breakfasts and dinners and a free spa treatment per room for each three-night stay. Prices start at $590 per room, per night, double occupancy. 888-667-9477, roccofortecollection.com

Save $135
Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort
Hilton Head Island, S.C.

You can't beat Island living in the autumn, especially when you're in town for the Fall Unlimited Golf Package, which offers villa accommodations and golf on Robert Trent Jones Sr., George Fazio and Arthur Hills courses, range use and one golf clinic. Rates start at $119 per person, based on four-person occupancy in a two-bedroom villa, and a three-night minimum. 800-827-3006, palmettodunes.com

Ask Travelin Joe: Louisiana's Audubon Golf Trail and Las Vegas

If you want to ask Travelin' Joe a question, e-mail him at askjoe@golf.com.

Hi Joe,
We've played part of the RTJ Golf Trail in Alabama, and loved it. Which courses would you recommend from the Audubon Golf Trail in Louisiana?
Mark Skipper,
Cedar Park, Texas

Make Gray Plantation ($50-$65; 337-562-1663, graywoodllc.com) in Lake Charles your first stop. The Rocky Roquemore layout is a top value, especially during the week, when you can play this well-bunkered test that skirts the Calcasieu River for $50.

Near the heart of the city is the short but affordable Audubon Park Golf Course ($30-$40; 504-861-2537, auduboninstitute.org), a par-62 track.

Fifteen minutes from downtown is the TPC Louisiana ($110-$169; 866-NOLA-TPC, tpc.com/louisiana), a flat, 7,500-yard Pete Dye design that hosts a PGA Tour event, but at twilight can be played for less than $100.

Dear Joe,
I'm going to Vegas next month and would like to play an affordable course within a short cab drive of the Strip. What do you think is the best bargain in Sin City?
Chad Hartman,
via e-mail

Thanks to the stagnant economy and a dearth of giddy gamblers, Las Vegas is awash with ever-changing golf deals right now. (See, the recession isn't all bad!) Of the fistful of solid second-tier courses, I think The Legacy Golf Club ($75-$119; 702-897-2187, thelegacygc.com) in Henderson meets your criteria. This burly but playable 7,233-yard, par-72 Arthur Hills design is lined with houses, but mountain and desert vistas, quality service and facilities and a memorable stretch of holes (Nos. 10-13) are highlights. Plus, it's only a 15- to 25-minute ride from the Strip, and even closer to the airport.

Cool stay-and-play deal in Monterey

In Monterey, land of overpriced and inaccessible golf, I've found a cool stay-and-play deal for two killer courses. You can play the renovated Blackhorse and Bayonet layouts, and stay at Inns by the Sea, from $249, golf included.

That would get you nine holes and a handshake at Pebble Beach.

For more information visit Inn by the Sea's web site or call 800-433-4732 and ask for the Bayonet/Blackhourse package.

Course Finder Profile: Bayonet/Black Horse Golf Course

Seaview Resort and Spa in Atlantic City

If you head to Atlantic City, you're probably going for gambling and the myriad other vices the city offers, but you should take a break from the tables and check out Seaview, located less than 20 minutes from the casinos.

The resort offers two courses, Bay and Pines, with impressive pedigrees. The Bay Course is a Donald Ross layout that was rerouted in 2006 and used to host an LPGA stop; the Pines Course is a Toomey & Flynn design that dates to 1929. On an early Saturday morning recently, I found that the Pines provided a soothing respite after a long losing night in the casinos.

For more information, go to seaviewgolf.com.

Ask Travelin' Joe: Chicago, Washington D.C. and Las Vegas

If you want to ask Travelin' Joe a question, e-mail him at askjoe@golf.com.

Hey Joe,
A group of 8 of us are going to Chicago on the September 19 weekend. We were looking into a golf course to play that Saturday morning but haven't made up our minds yet. I was wondering if you could give me some suggestions as to where we should try. My criteria would be: public, $100 or less, relatively close proximity to Chicago because we won't have our own vehicles. Our handicaps range from 2 to 20. We want to play something quality and memorable.
Jordan Lund
Canada

Jordan, it would take Solomon's wisdom to find a perfect answer here, but you're stuck with Travelin' Joe, so we'll forge ahead with compromises. The Glen Club (847-724-7272, theglenclub.com) almost fits your bill. It's only 15 miles north of O'Hare, it serves up a handsome, tournament-tested Tom Fazio design and it's got all the service bells and whistles you could ask for. Unfortunately, they're asking $175 to play on a September Saturday.

Sagamore Resort in New York keeps getting better with age

Since 1883, the Sagamore Resort has drawn families from all over the New York area and beyond for its beautiful views of the Adirondack Mountains and Lake George, an abundance of outdoor activities and a Donald Ross golf course.

Now there are even more reasons to come back. The historic hotel has undergone several renovations that bring it up to date, while keeping that old-time charm.

Thirty six new rooms are open in the executive wing of the hotel, with several modern touches like flat-screen televisions and glass-enclosed showers.

The dining room has been renamed La Bella Vita Ristorante and is not to be missed, especially around sunset, since the elegant atmosphere and unobstructed views of the lake make for a memorable dinner.