Seven Canyons
Sedona, Ariz.
6,746 yards, par 70
Green fees: $50-$125
928-203-2001
sevencanyons.com

Behold, a victory for the 99 percent. Seven Canyons drew raves when it debuted in 2002. The pairing of Tom Weiskopf's deft design skills with the high-desert, red-rock canvas of Sedona, Arizona, resulted in a palette of incomparable golf.

But for most of its existence the stunning backdrops were reserved for the fortunate few, with memberships costing up to $175,000. The economy, however, has forced several private courses to open their doors to more golfers and more revenue, and you can now play Weiskopf's dazzling design for as little as $50.

It's a steal. Located two hours north of Phoenix, Seven Canyons is tightly packed into a small parcel at 4,600 feet, amid 300 feet of elevation change. As such, the emphasis is on shotmaking. Any frustration from the occasional layup is mitigated by artfully placed bunkers, imaginative green complexes, and the Coconino National Forest's visual splendor.

Of the four par 3's, the 175-yard fourth crystallizes the course's virtues the best: elevation changes (a three-story drop), bold bunkering, fair-but-fiendish greens and a panorama of jagged red mesas and spires. For fans of shotmaking and majestic scenery, Seven Canyons is a perfect 10.

(Photo: George Fuller)

SAVE $165!
French Lick Resort
French Lick, Ind.

To paraphrase a famous '70s hit song, "Indiana wants you." Deep in the heart of Larry Bird country, the Ultimate Spring Golf Package delivers a round each at the Pete Dye ($30 forecaddie is extra), Donald Ross and Valley Links courses, with two nights' accommodations at West Baden Springs Hotel. May rates start at $609 per person, per night, based on double occupancy.
888-936-9360, frenchlick.com

SAVE $235!
Hilton Rose Hall Resort
Montego Bay, Jamaica

A strategic layout stars in the Stay-and-Play package at Hilton Rose Hall Resort's Cinnamon Hill GC, with three rounds, including caddie fees, four nights' lodging, and all-inclusive dining. May rates begin at $953, per person, double occupancy.
876-953-2650, rosehallresort.com

SAVE $145!
Dancing Rabbit at Pearl River Resort
Philadelphia, Miss.

This Augusta-like setting's Casino Stay and Play package gives you 18 holes on either the Azaleas or Oaks, one night's lodging, and a hot southern breakfast. May rates start at $261 per room, per night, based on double occupancy.
866-447-3275, dancingrabbitgolf.com

SAVE $110!
Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort
Hilton Head Island, S.C.

The Golf Stay & Play package includes up to three rounds on the Jones, Fazio or Hills courses, three nights in a two-bedroom villa, and two hours' tennis court time. May rates start at $131 per person, per night, with four-person occupancy.
866-380-1778, palmettodunes.com

(Credit: Brian Walters)

PGA West, TPC Stadium
La Quinta, California
7,300 yards, par 72
Green fees: $69-$255
pgawest.com
800-742-9378

Service
At this premium course in a pricey corner of the California desert, expect five-star service trappings with a helpful staff and a practice area with grass impeccable enough to dine off. And it took all of our self-discipline not to fill our bag with a bunch of flawless range balls.

Pace of Play
This is a long, difficult course with more water than SeaWorld, at a resort in a region filled with plumb-bobbing retirees. It doesn't take a mathematician to know what that equation adds up to. Expect a four-and-a-half hour round, minimum, even on less than busy days.

Quality
At a time when design trends are pointing away from Pete Dye's modern stylings, the Stadium course seems almost retro-chic. Which is not to say it's dated. Like the Art Deco architecture of the surrounding region, this throwback layout has a timeless appeal.

Value
Peak season in the winter means you'll fork over more than $200 for a top-notch experience. Happily, when the mercury rises, prices plummet, and the Stadium Course is a summer steal at less than $100. For serious players in the golf-crazy area, it's a must all year long.

Verdict
When it opened 26 years ago, playing this course with balata and persimmon was like trying to tame a dragon with a rolled-up newspaper. In 2012, armed with modern weaponry, today's weekend golfers can have a shotmaking blast on the memorable Stadium course.

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

Dear Joe,
Seven of us are headed to Scottsdale in May to play all of the top courses—Troon North, TPC, Grayhawk, Boulders and We-Ko-Pa. We've got room for one more course. Any suggestions?
—Ray Talley, Medford, Ore.

My hometown is chockablock with second-tier tracks that would be trophy courses most anywhere else. It's tough to pick one, so here are three. Not far from We-Ko-Pa is SunRidge Canyon ($60-$170; 480-837-5100, sunridgegolf.com) in Fountain Hills, which, after a few years of neglect, is on the mend with new ownership. This layout boasts a back nine as rugged and scenic as any in the Valley of the Sun, culminating with a final stretch of challenging holes nicknamed "The Wicked Six."

Gold Canyon's Dinosaur Mountain ($45-$189, 480-982-9090, gcgr.com) is marred by too many houses but redeemed by dramatic holes and views of the Superstition Mountains.

A half hour south of the airport is Southern Dunes ($25-$89; 480-367-8949, golfsoutherndunes.com) in Maricopa. Formerly a private men's club (members included Mark Calcavecchia and Steve Jones), this Schmidt-Curley design in a pristine desert setting has clever bunkering, sizable greens and nary a weak hole.

Dear Joe, I have a dilemma! Sixteen of us are going to Myrtle Beach, where I haven't been in 25 years. We're looking at two packages: Stay at the Legends and play all five courses (Heathland, Moorland, Parkland, Heritage and Oyster Bay), or stay at True Blue and play there, Grand Dunes, Man O' War, Caledonia and TPC Myrtle Beach. Your thoughts?
—Stuart Ryan, via e-mail

This is a tough call. You've got a solid lineup of courses at the Legends (800-299-6187, legendsgolf.com). I've played and enjoyed them all. I've also downed a few pints at the resort's charming Ailsa Pub, and even practiced after-hours on its 30-acre lighted range.

Now, if your crew is more into scenery and solitude, the True Blue villas (866-954-8311, fishclub.com), down south on Pawleys Island, is a better bet; plus, the region holds its own for restaurants. However, since you haven't been on the Grand Strand since Reagan was in the White House, play Caledonia. For its marriage of thinking-man's challenge and Low-country allure, Caledonia is my must-play course in Myrtle Beach.

Hi Joe,
My husband and I have been to Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic for golf vacations. My brother-in-law just returned from Puerto Rico and raved about it. Where does Puerto Rico rate with you compared to the others?
—Sue Thompson, Bay Village, Ohio

Puerto Rico's golf scene has made huge strides in the past two years. Start with the new lodging component and stunning cliff-top design at Royal Isabela ($150-$250; 787-934-5648, royalisabela.com), which we featured last month.

Next on your list should be eco-minded Bahia Beach ($225-$275; 866-529-3996, bahiabeachpuertorico.com), recently redesigned by Robert Trent Jones II, where a superb St. Regis hotel opened in December 2010.

Jones's newest venture on the island is a sympathetic restoration of the East course at Dorado Beach ($185-$250; 787-626-1001, doradobeach.com), one of his father's true classics. Simply unforgettable are the risk/reward options and Atlantic Ocean views at the Z-shaped, par-5 4th. Lodging is lacking at Dorado right now, but a Ritz-Carlton Reserve boutique hotel is slated to debut late this year.

With a handful of other strong courses (many at bargain rates), a visit to El Yunque Rainforest, and the fine dining to be had in Old San Juan—and no passport needed—you've got a destination that's fast becoming a promised land for golf lovers.

Dear Joe,
My wife and I want to get away to the Southeast this spring for a week's golf vacation, and we want to get her lessons, too. What do you recommend?
—Kent Cummings, Nutley, N.J.

Come spring, I'm partial to the Sandhills of North Carolina. With golf lore at just about every inter-section, Pinehurst simply rules. The iconic Pinehurst Resort (855-235-8507, pinehurst.com) offers fine golf instruction and the chance to tangle with the newly restored No. 2.

Yet for your specific needs, I'd pick Pine Needles Resort, next door in Southern Pines (May package rates from $270 and 5-day "Golfari" instruction packages from $2,545; 800-747-7272, pineneedlesmidpines.com). With two Donald Ross courses and one of America's greatest learning programs for women, Pine Needles will get your wife's game razor-sharp in short order.

(Credit: Becky McBride/Pronghorn Golf Club)

Hey, Phil phanatics. The 40-time Tour winner is being inducted into the Hall of Fame this May, so here's your chance to see Phil Mickelson immortalized—and to play quality courses, to boot.

Florida's First Coast of Golf (florida-golf.org) is a marketing company that represents many Sunshine State properties, such as the Sawgrass Marriott and the World Golf Village. Among its spring offerings is the Hall of Fame Induction Golf & Gala package, which includes one round on the underrated Slammer & Squire course (designed by Bobby Weed to honor Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen), three nights' lodging, VIP seating at the May 7 Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at the St. Johns County Convention Center, access to the post-ceremony Gala (Lefty and other Hall of Famers will be there), and admission to the Hall of Fame Museum.

Rates start at $660.50 per person. 888-424-8222, worldgolfvillage.com

For more exclusive travel deals and packages, go to iTunes and download Golf Magazine's Front9 app, available for use on the iPad and iPhone.

(Credit: Lawrence Michael Clemmer)

La Costa Resort & Spa (Champions)
Carlsbad, Calif.
7,172 yards, par 72
Green fees: $185-$240
800-854-5000
lacosta.com

When the PGA Tour last visited La Costa in 2006, the course was a soggy, muddy mess. The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship picked up stakes for the dry Arizona desert and has remained there ever since.

However, with an inspired make-over of its North course (now called the Champions course) by architect Damian Pascuzzo, his design partner Steve Pate and collaborating architect Jeff Brauer, La Costa is again a Tour-caliber destination.

Long a fabled spa and tennis retreat for Hollywood's elite, La Costa's golf legacy was established in 1969, when Gary Player captured the Tournament of Champions. Subsequent winners here included Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

Last November, the Champions debuted to very sunny reviews. Every tee, green and fairway on the layout is brand-new, and four holes are completely redesigned, notably the short par-4 15th. Massive, artfully sculpted bunkers have also been repositioned in the style of La Costa's original architect, Dick Wilson. And a revamped filtration system was put in place.

The result is...more. More drama, more variety and more risk/reward decisions. Tiger, Phil—come back anytime.

(Photo: Evan Schiller)

Dear Joe,
I’m going to Gulf Shores, Alabama, playing six days, in early April. I’m staying at Kiva Dunes and playing there and Peninsula. What other courses in that area would you recommend?
Terry Holleman
Champaign, Ill.

You wouldn’t suffer with multiple plays at Kiva Dunes, a linksy Jerry Pate design draped over a sandy plot between the Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico—and Peninsula (pictured) stacks up as second best in the region.

However, if you’re a course collector like me, here are three more to try. Best of the trio is Rock Creek ($55-$69; 251-928-4223, rockcreekgolf.com), which rolls through handsome pines, hardwoods and wetlands and is replete with strong par-4s and several risk/reward par-5s.

Next up is TimberCreek ($49-$59; 251-621-9900, golftimbercreek.com), a hilly, forested, 27-holer on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, where the Dogwood/Magnolia combo offers the sternest challenge.

Cotton Creek at Craft Farms ($69-$89; 251-968-7500, craftfarms.com) is one of two Arnold Palmer designs on site. You won’t confuse either one with Bay Hill, but Cotton Creek in particular will entertain with its undulating fairways and numerous bunkers and water hazards.

Dear Joe,
I need your expertise and recommendations for an upcoming golf trip to Orlando. I previously read your Orlando review from March 2009 on Golf.com, but I’m curious if the last several years have altered your must-play list.
Greg Moore
Alexandria, Va.

Hindsight is always 20-20, but fortunately, there’s no need to renew my prescription. Things stand pretty much as they were in 2009. Bay Hill remains king, thanks to the double-barreled aura of Arnie and Tiger, though you still have to stay there to play there.

Grand Cypress continues to impress, with its remarkable variety of golf offerings, from its now vintage Nicklaus “moundy” (80’s-style) original course, to its St. Andrews replica New course to the superior instruction facilities.

I’ll amplify on two surprises: First is Reunion Resort, which has dropped the Ginn name, but is bursting with new vitality, thanks to some TLC (and cash) infused from new owner Salamander Resorts, the same folks who have Innisbrook.

I have to admit I’m a huge fan of the Watson course, formerly known as the Independence, which inspires with intriguing angles and interesting greens, but which is the least dramatic of the three. I’ve picked on Reunion’s Jack Nicklaus design (formerly the Tradition course) for slapping mid- and high-handicappers with too much trouble, but unquestionably, if you’re a good stick, you’ll warm to it.

Finally, Rees Jones’ Waldorf-Astoria layout is a treat. Tranquil, with fewer bells and whistles than many modern designs, it’s simply a wonderful, playable spread graced with massive bunkers and multiple lakes throughout the back nine that offers plenty of golf when the breeze is up. The Waldorf service, conditions and facilities live up to the famous name.

Dear Joe,
I’m going to be in the Phoenix/Mesa area for business and am going to squeeze in one round. I much prefer to walk so I was wondering if there are any nice courses (up to $125 green fee) that allow walking?
Chris Manning
Via email

Right on the money is Longbow ($60-$135; 480-807-5400, longbowgolf.com) in Mesa, a 1997 Ken Kavanaugh design that’s free of housing, but chock full of strategically placed bunkers. A small, if ripple-filled parcel makes for pleasurable walking—just ask Hunter Mahan and Paula Creamer, who have strolled to victories here in the AJGA Heather Farr Classic. It’s $125 to play Monday through Thursday through March, and $90 all week starting April 2.

Charlie Pasarell understands the meaning of patience. The native Puerto Rican tennis great is best know for his 1969 Wimbledon marathon against Pancho Gonzales, a 112-game affair that remained the longest match in event history until 2010.

But thanks to the new Royal Isabela layout in Puerto Rico, he may one day be better remembered for sculpting fairways than for crushing forehands. Pasarell co-designed the course with his brother Stanley and longtime Pete Dye associate David Pfaff, and the trio has delivered the most spectacular course in Puerto Rico and one of the most scenic in the world.

Draped atop jungle-strewn cliffs 75 miles west of San Juan, this semi-private stunner serves up a kaleidoscope of environments, from Hawaiian-like tropics to Old World links. Still, this beauty is a beast from any tee--notably the double-green clifftop 12th and 14th holes--and the forced carry makes the long par-3 17th a thriller.

In April, 20 casitas and a lodge will transform the property into a boutique resort. The tennis star turned designer lost that famed Wimbledon duel 11-9 in the fifth, but with Royal Isabela, it's game, set and match for Pasarell.

The PGA Tour heads to Florida four times this month, so why don’t you? The Turnberry Isle Miami resort is offering two new golf schools with an exclusive bonus round rate of $55 (green fee, cart and forecaddie) for Golf Magazine readers who participate.

From March 5-10, a three-day school featuring the Kinetic Performance System’s (KPC) evaluation process will include a comprehensive 90-minute evaluation; green reading/putting and individual follow-up consultations; on-course sessions; wedge play technique; two lunches and more. The school costs $999 per person. For more details contact KPC at 847-532-4234 or email contact@kpcgolf.com.

On March 18, Marius Filmalter, short game instructor to PGA Tour golfers, including Ernie Els, Mike Weir and Chad Campbell, will conduct a half-day putting or short-game program ($399 each), and an all-encompassing full-day school ($798). The programs are not limited to, but include a variation of the following: fundamentals of the game; club fitting; measurement and analysis of putting strokes; drills and exercise; adjusting to different types of grass; grain and speeds of greens; and green reading and pre-shot routine. For more details email Johny Jones at jjones@jjones.com.

Accommodations—with room rates starting at $299 per night for golfers participating in the schools—are provided at Turnberry Isle Miami (turnberryislemiami.com; 786-279-6741), a Golf Magazine Premier Resort Silver Medal winner. The resort features two golf courses, an award-winning Spa & Fitness Center, Celebrity Chef Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak restaurant, a lagoon-style pool with a waterslide and lazy river, and a private Beach Club.

(Photo: Turnberry Isle Resort)

Hi Joe,
A group of friends and I will be in Ft. Lauderdale and we would like to catch a good round of golf at a PGA-level course, or something similar you recommend.
Sergio Torres
Atlanta, Ga.

There are no “must-plays” in Ft. Lauderdale, but there are definitely a fistful of solid choices that fit your description. Start with the Club at Emerald Hills ($45-$125; 954-961-4000, theclubatemeraldhills.com), in nearby Hollywood, a water-loaded, 1970 Devlin/Von Hagge creation that boasts surprising elevation changes for South Florida and is fearsome challenge as well, as evidenced by the 76.1 rating and 145 slope from its 7,368-yard tips. In February and March, you can play it after noon during the week for $90.

An option with a serious tournament pedigree is Inverrary Country Club’s East course ($35-$70;954-733-7550, inverrarygolf.com) in Lauderhill. Host to the PGA Tour’s Jackie Gleason event from 1972 through 1983, forerunner to the current Honda Classic, this 42-year-old Robert Trent Jones Sr. design witnessed winners such as Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller and Jack Nicklaus during its run. Nicklaus’s 1978 victory featured birdies on the final five holes, one of the Golden Bear’s most dramatic regular tour wins.

Finally, if you love sand, you’ll warm to Heron Bay ($85-$105; 954-796-2000, heronbaygolfclub.net) in Coral Springs, which played host to the PGA Tour’s Honda event from 1997 through 2002, back when the course fell under the TPC umbrella. Vijay Singh, Matt Kuchar and Mark Calcavecchia were among the men who won titles here. The conditioning, service and facilities are top-notch, but if you’re allergic to bunker play, find somewhere else.

Hi, Joe
I am headed to Hilton Head in March and was hoping you could give me the best course or two to play there. Thanks.
Grant Ainsley
Alberta, Canada

How much do I love Harbour Town? Let me count the ways. Don’t tell me there’s no strategy because the fairways are flat and narrow. Don’t tell me the greens are too small and plain. I don’t want to hear that it takes too long in the round to encounter the Calibogue Sound. And spare me the withering snipes about its conditioning woes. I just played there again in November and the renewed emphasis on course maintenance has me sold.

A PGA Tour staple since 1969 and a fixture on GOLF Magazine’s Top 100 Courses in the World, Harbour Town ($139-$259; 866-561-8802, seapines.com) is technically part of Sea Pines Plantation, but as a destination, it’s completely on its own. The Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus collaboration set design on its ear when it debuted more than 40 years ago, and today, it remains an absolute treat.

It’s so refreshing to play a course that calls for supreme thought and precision with every shot. It’s a joy to duel with a layout that demands the ability to work the ball, to show restraint on many occasions, but courage on many others, especially on the glorious quartet of par 3s. This isn’t firm and fast linksy stuff, with gigantic undulating greens, nor is it swing-from-the-heels, 7,800-yard bomb-and-gouge stuff. It’s old-fashioned shotmaking, which can occasionally frustrate the modern driver—and I love it.

A second choice might be Harbour Town’s underrated sibling, Heron Point by Pete Dye ($55-$139; 866-561-8802, seapines.com). I still think it’s hamstrung by some old routing issues, resulting in a few funky holes, but as a test of golf that moves the needle on challenge and aesthetics, it’s a winner.

For a more graceful, even prettier course, try May River at Palmetto Bluff ($175-$260; 866-706-6565, palmettobluffresort.com). Ostensibly it’s private or resort guests-only, but call ahead and you’ll have a fighting chance to climb aboard. It’s just a gorgeous walk, with beautiful splashes of sand and a couple of holes that edge the May River. It’s easily one of my favorite Jack Nicklaus designs.

Geoff Ogilvy on What Makes a Great Match Play Course
Not long ago, I asked Geoff Ogilvy as to whether there was such a thing as a good match-play course—and if so, what elements go into making a good match play course? Ogilvy, a two-time champion of the WGC-Accenture Match Play event and once a runner-up, is also an astute golf course critic. Here were his typically insightful thoughts.

“I guess there are probably good courses for match play,” said Ogilvy. “Four par 5s that people can get to is a good start. If there are holes that people have to make decisions, it’s going to be a good match play course because there might be a guy who wants to lay it up on a par 5, and if his opponent has pulled a 3-wood and hits it on the green, then he has to go for the green. I mean that sort of stuff—it’s interesting—whereas if it’s just an obvious play, where everybody lays it up and where everybody hits the same shots all day, then it’s not going to create the excitement and the decisions.”

Clearly warming to the topic, Ogilvy continued. “The funnest part of golf is watching us struggle with the decision whether to go over the water or not go over the water—should I go for it or not go for it—then go for it. That’s the funnest part of watching golf, isn’t it? If you’ve got four par 5s that you can reach and two par 4s that you can drive it on, then you’ve got decisions. It’s nice to have a few holes like that. Whenever you have golfers making decisions they don’t want to make, golf is a better game to watch.”

(Photo: Heron Point)