Travelin’ Joe Passov may have played 1,300 courses around the world, but he’s a bit confused about his geography. Or he needs to listen to more Sinatra and Springsteen between rounds. In Joe’s article “New York versus New England: Who wins the Super Bowl of Golf,” he mistakenly refers to one of the Super Bowl participants as the “New York” Giants. Wrong. They are the New Jersey Giants. At least to Garden State natives like myself.

That change should have been official when the Giants started playing games at the Meadowlands in 1976. Even the team offices are located in beautiful East Rutherford, and I’d bet most if not all the Giants live in the Garden State. New York can keep the Jets (even though they also call New Jersey home), but the Giants are ours. As for the golf argument against New England (had to use a whole region, huh?), here’s how this New Jersey native would play it:

Historic Tournament Course: Ever hear of Baltusrol in Springfield, N.J.? I thought so. After all, it has only hosted seven U.S. Opens, two U.S. Women’s Opens, a PGA Championship and four U.S. Amateurs. It will also host the 2016 PGA.

More? No problem.

How about Ridgewood Country Club (1935 Ryder Cup, 1974 U.S. Amateur, 1990 U.S. Senior Open, 2008 and 2010 Barclays) or even Plainfield Country Club (1978 U.S. Amateur, 1987 U.S. Women’s Open, 2011 Barclays)? And then there’s a little course called Pine Valley …

Marquee Public Access Course: Atlantic City Country Club. It dates back to 1897, the term “birdie” was first used there, and the layout was restored by Tom Doak in 1999. Plus it’s on the real Jersey Shore, with no connection to the inane television show.

Best Major Championship Winner: The Garden State only has one: Vic Ghezzi, a Rumson native and winner of the 1941 PGA Championship at Colorado’s Cherry Hills Country Club, where Chezzi defeated Byron Nelson in 38 holes. Ghezzi, an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour, died at age 65 in 1976, just a few months before the Giants started playing at their new stadium. The one in New Jersey.

C’mon, Travelin’ Joe, show a little respect for the Garden State. But stick with that prediction you made: New Jersey by a touchdown this Sunday.

(Photo: Larry Lambrecht)

Hi Joe,
We’re heading to Naples, Fla., this winter with four golfers. Can you recommend some good quality courses in the Naples area that won’t break the bank?
Jeff Gilman
Lancaster, N.H.

Between Naples and Cabo, I get asked this question a lot. My response is the same as when someone asks me to help them move furniture: It’s possible, but highly improbable.

Naples and Florida’s southwest coast simply don’t ooze bargains. The inexpensive courses are mostly mediocre, the public-access trophy courses are only for people with expense accounts, and the rest in the region have locked gates.

Still, there’s hope.

Start with Old Corkscrew ($100-$169; 239-949-4700, oldcorkscrew.com) in Estero, a half-hour north of Naples. This strong Jack Nicklaus creation offers challenge, variety and superb conditioning. Yes, the rack rate is formidable, but if you can wait until 1:40 p.m. to play, it’s $100, and better still there are a variety of discount services that will help lower the cost.

The region’s best deal is River Hall Country Club ($75-$85; 239-313-4653, hamptongolfclubs.com), in Alva, a 2007 Davis Love III design that rolls out a 7,200-yard layout that emphasizes strategy. Intriguing bunkering and a set of huge, quick greens add to the fun.

A final value is Eastwood Golf Course ($45-$60; 239-321-7487, cityftmyers.com/eastwood) in Ft. Myers. This 1968 Devlin/von Hagge design is a muni that doesn’t sound like much on paper, tipping out at just 6,772 yards, but a kennel full of doglegs, 87 bunkers and water on 11 holes make this a true test of course management.

Hey Joe,
I’m heading down to Riviera Maya for a week getaway with my wife. Any suggestions on decent and affordable courses in that area? I’ve been to Cancun many times but never to Mexico’s Riviera Maya.
Tom Watchko
Philadelphia

OK, make that Cabo, Naples—and the Riviera Maya—as terrific golf destinations that are seldom mentioned in the same sentence with “affordability.”

Nearly every course in the region commands $150-$275 price tags for non-twilight times. I still say that the El Camaleon at Mayakoba Resort ($133-$283; 011-52-984-206-3088, fairmont.com/mayakoba) is worth the extra pesos, thanks to a truly distinctive Greg Norman design that features two par 3s that melt into the beach edging the Caribbean Sea, plus other holes criss-crossed by limestone canals and a unique par-5 opener that sports a cenote (underwater cave) smack in the middle of the fairway.

Wallet watchers and/or those pressed for time should drive a little further south for Riviera Maya’s nine-hole par-3 course ($65; 011-52-984-875-5048,rivieramaya-golfclub.com), a Robert Trent Jones II effort that pairs with a championship 27-holer (18 currently open) on site. Lagoons, jungle-like surrounds and a variety of hole lengths are highlights.

Three underrated holes at the TPC Scottsdale
The wild 16th hole at the TPC Scottsdale’s aptly named Stadium course is one of the most famous par 3s—but it’s not even the best par 3 on the back nine. While the island-green par-5 15th, amphitheater par-3 16th and drivable par-4 17th deservedly grab all the glory, here are my picks for three wonderful, but overlooked, back-nine holes that Waste Management Phoenix Open competitors will face this week.

11th hole, 469 yards, par 4
I’ve got to admit that I’m an ever-increasing fan of holes that terrorize with water, though without demanding a forced carry. A huge lake lines the left side of the fairway and the length of the hole mandates driver off the tee.

However, follow through too aggressively on the drive or approach and you’ll hook into the drink. Mid-handicappers will tend to bail right, but that’s where trees and desert scrub await. Billy Mayfair claims that the approach is “probably a 6- to 8-iron into a really thin, very well-guarded green.” It’s usually a 3-wood for me and bogey isn’t a bad score.

12th hole, 195 yards, par 3
The same situation we encountered at 11 is back at 12: Water lurks in frightening fashion, yet you don’t have to carry it. Instead, the lake horseshoes around the back and both sides of the green. Thus, if you could hit a putter hard enough, you could run it right onto the long, narrow green. Push or pull your full shot by a whisker, however—or hit it too boldly—and it will find the proverbial watery grave.

Sure, it’s not as dramatic as a forced carry, but it’s absolutely inspired work by Weiskopf-Morrish, where the hack can make par or bogey via old-fashioned accuracy, but the Tour pro faces a true gut-check if he wants to get it close to a back pin.

18th hole, 438 yards, par 4
Length is no longer the factor it was when the pros first encountered it in 1987, but an extension to the lake on the left and an expansion to the bunkers on the right make this a challenging tee shot on a crucial hole.

Defending champion Mark Wilson says, “No matter where the pin is, however, the green is a smaller target than it appears, because any approach that lands on the left third of the green will fall away from the hole. It’s a great finishing hole where you can make a birdie or a bogey.”

Indeed, with the massive crowds lining the hillside to the right, a lake left, and handsome mountain vistas in sight, this is one of the more underappreciated closers on Tour.

(Editor's note: Shortly after this article was published, Golf Magazine's Tom Mackin filed a story in defense of the New Jersey Giants and golf in the Garden State.)

To help sort out the X’s and O’s when the New York Football Giants meet the Patriots of New England, turn to Peter King and the other experts at SI.com. As to the golf battle between New York and New England, here’s how we see it.

1. Historic Tournament Golf Course

New England: The Country Club

New York: Winged Foot

If this category included multiple courses, New York would dominate, thanks to the one-two wallop of Winged Foot and Shinnecock Hills. Winged Foot West has hosted five U.S. Opens and a rainbow-tinged PGA Championship, while Shinny was the venue for four more Opens, including the second ever played, in 1896. Toss in more than a dozen other major championship sites, including Oak Hill (East), Bethpage (Black) and the architecturally significant National Golf Links, home to the first Walker Cup in 1922, and you have a formidable lineup. Nevertheless, for sheer history, the Country Club in Brookline, Mass., stands alone. Amateur Francis Ouimet’s shocking playoff upset of top British professionals Harry Vardon and Ted Ray to win the 1913 U.S. Open put golf on the map in the United States. The 1963 U.S. Open witnessed the highest total score in modern history, when three players finished 72 holes at 293. Julius Boros beat Arnold Palmer and Jacky Cupit in the playoff. Rees Jones ignited the classic restoration craze with his inspired reworking of The Country Club ahead of the 1988 U.S. Open, when Curtis Strange clipped Nick Faldo in yet another playoff. And there are few more unforgettable shots than Justin Leonard’s 45-foot 17th hole bomb that sealed the 1999 Ryder Cup for the U.S.

Edge: New England

U.S. players celebrate on the Country Club's 17th green at the 1999 Ryder Cup. (Bob Martin/SI)

2. Quarterback Golf Prowess

New England: Tom Brady

New York: Eli Manning

Manning has lowered his handicap to seven, thanks in part to pitting his skills against two superior Met Area tracks, Garden City Golf Club on Long Island, the links-like host to the 1902 U.S. Open and New Jersey’s Liberty National, the PGA Tour’s Barclay’s venue in 2009. Brady’s game hovers between an eight and a 10, but he’s put his swing on display on bigger stages than Manning, including multiple appearances in the AT&T National Pebble Beach Pro-Am and on the HBO series Entourage in 2009.

Edge: Even

Tom Brady hits off the tenth tee at Spyglass Hill in the 2010 Pebble Beach Pro-Am. (AP Photo)

3. Marquee Public-Access Golf Course

New England: Taconic

New York: Bethpage (Black)

Taconic is a lovely college course. Bethpage Black is a bar exam. Abutting the postcard-perfect campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., Taconic blends heart-of-the-Berkshires charm with superb shot-making challenges to earn a No. 41 ranking on Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play. Trivia buffs: 16-year-old Jack Nicklaus aced the par-3 14th hole in a practice round at the 1956 U.S. Junior Amateur. Bethpage Black’s architectural pedigree is in some dispute, but most agree that this walking-only brute is the final masterwork of A.W. Tillinghast. What a lasting impression. Ranked No. 6 in our Top 100 Courses You Can Play, the Black bullies players even before they tee off with a sign at the first tee stating: “Warning—The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers.” Among the most highly skilled were Tiger Woods and Lucas Glover, who captured the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens here, respectively. Trivia buffs: Johnny Miller’s Father’s Day present in 2002? Son Andy aced the par-3 third in the final round of the U.S. Open.

Edge: New York

The 17th hole at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. (Bethpage State Park)

4. Best Major Championship Winner

New England: Francis Ouimet

New York: Gene Sarazen

Ouimet’s astonishing 1913 U.S. Open victory over Vardon and Ray was a game-changer. That and his two wins in the U.S. Amateur (1914 and 1931) when it was considered a major gives the Brookline, Mass., native the nod over Connecticut-born Julius Boros, whose smooth swing netted him two U.S. Opens, a PGA Championship and 18 PGA Tour wins. However, neither man can touch Gene Sarazen of Harrison, N.Y., who narrowly slips by Rochester’s Walter Hagen for top man in the Empire State. Sarazen nips Hagen via his victories in all four modern majors, plus two of history’s most memorable hole-outs, the first when he doubled-eagled the 15th at Augusta National on way to winning the 1935 Masters, the second when he aced Troon’s “Postage Stamp” par-3 eighth in the 1973 British Open at age 71.

Edge: New York

Gene Sarazen in 1935. (Central Press/Getty Images)

And the Winner Is…

New York wins the golf competition by a touchdown.

This story originally appeared in the Golf Magazine Front9 App. To download the weekly app, visit the Apple iTunes store.

Dear Joe,
Headed to Savannah for a business trip and am looking to stay and play for a couple of additional days in early February. Any favorites for me to keep in mind?
Drew C.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

I’ll draw it up for you, Drew. It’s worth the extra cash to spring for the Unlimited Golf Package at the Westin Savannah Harbor (912-201-2000, westinsavannah.com). For $319, you can stay one night and play all the golf you want at the resort’s Club at Savannah Harbor ($55-$95; 912-201-2240, theclubatsavannahharbor.com), a 1999 Bob Cupp/Sam Snead design superbly managed by Troon Golf.

You also can play the course a la carte, where beguiling green contouring and strategically deployed wetlands will make you think from start to finish. Though a pretty flat track, it’s spiced with several memorable holes, such as the 447-yard, par-4 sixth, which captivates the senior set during the Champions Tour’s annual Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, due partly to its away-sloping green at the edge of the marsh and its jaw-dropping Talmadge Bridge backdrop. The skinny, drive-and-pitch par-4 14th, properly named Alligator Alley, is another keeper.

While I may be fond of the course, I’m absolutely smitten with the hotel. Take a Savannah River-view room, feast on the she-crab soup and grouper in the Aqua Star restaurant, relax in the aptly named Heavenly Spa and catch the free river ferry into town—you can thank me later, as Larry King used to say.

The 23-year-old Southbridge ($30-$50; 912-651-5455, southbridgegolfclub.com), a wooded, watery Rees Jones design, is the region’s best bargain, but I’m also partial to Crosswinds ($23.50-$51.50; 912-966-0674, crosswindsgolfclub.com) for its playability and its accessible location five minutes from the Savannah Airport.

Hi Joe,
We will be in Scottsdale in January. I am looking for some help with course selection. For a few days of the week, both my wife and I will play together, and we are looking for some nice but affordable places to play. My wife is still fairly new in golf: Target golf is not the most desirable play for her. The last few days of the week, I would like to play some of the best courses in the region. I will be playing as a single on Friday and Saturday. What would you say are the most memorable ones to try out?
Jan Jaap Bijlsma
Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Though I’m not a certified marriage counselor, I’ll advise on a course of courses that will keep you both happy. On the west side of town, you and the missus shouldn’t miss Sun City South ($35; 623-876-3015, sunaz.com), which I once called the best value in the entire Valley of the Sun—and a year later, I’ll stand by my opinion. This is “normal” golf—wall-to-wall grass, trees, a few lakes—plus some terrific strategic options, thanks to an inspired 2010 redesign from architect Tripp Davis and his associate, Gary Brawley, all for a price that will bring you back early and often.

On the east side of town, try the Indian Bend course at the Camelback Inn, a JW Marriott Resort & Spa ($59 Twilight-$99 in January), a handsome, traditional parkland layout graced with tall palms and mountain vistas. Individually memorable holes are lacking, but a stellar pro shop, service, location and playability for newer golfers are pluses.

For thrills like few others in the southwest, check out the Boulders ($60-$220; 480-488-9028, theboulders.com), which delivers golf among gigantic, ancient rocks for you and her. You get a sturdy test and she gets a new set of forward tees—at a reduced price—which form part of a 9-hole “course within a course” with hole lengths between 100 and 200 yards.

For golf on your own, I’ll toss out the usual suspects: We-Ko-Pa’s Saguaro course ($75-$205; 480-836-9000, wekopa.com) tops my list if you had one course to play, thanks to its rolling, yet walkable Coore-Crenshaw design that’s free from homes. If you love famous footsteps, TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium course ($75-$299; 480-585-4334, tpc.com/Scottsdale) is a must-do, with 25 years of Phoenix Open lore soaking its fairways.

Troon North ($175-$325; 480-585-5300, troonnorthgolf.com) offers the finest combination of challenge and aesthetics in the Valley, whether you play the Monument or the Pinnacle, and Grayhawk ($100-$230; 480-502-1800, grayhawkgolf.com) dishes out the best vibe—golf, food, service, ambiance, with both its courses, Talon and Raptor, having been PGA Tour venues.

(Photo: Troon North)

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

Canadian Greetings, Joe,
We’re heading to Kauai in February for 12 days. I’ve noticed some resorts and courses offer 3-4 round packages. What do you recommend we do as we’re planning on playing six rounds. What’s the best value and what are MUST-plays?
Jay Janower
Canada

What’s hot on Kauai are vastly improved conditions at a fistful of A-List courses. Start with Princeville on the north shore, which reopened its underrated Makai ($145-$220; 808-826-1912, makaigolf.com) course in January 2010 as an 18-hole layout comprised of the old Lake and Ocean nines, with the Woods nine now a separate entity. If you can hold out until March 1 (or perhaps as early as February 8), you’ll witness the island’s best course, The Prince at Princeville, reopen following a thorough course renovation, together with makeovers for the practice range and clubhouse.

Roughly 12 months ago, Poipu Bay ($145-$240; 808-742-8711, poipubaygolf.com) reopened with new paspalum putting surfaces that have made for quicker, more consistent speeds. Of course, the old greens never bothered Phil Mickelson, who shot 59 there in the 2004 Grand Slam of Golf, or Tiger Woods, who won the event seven times. For me, it was always the stiff breezes at Poipu, not the grainy greens that drove up my score, but no question—the difference is striking.

Finally, Kauai Lagoons ($105-$195; 808-241-6000, kauailagoonsgolf.com) reopened its stellar ocean holes—including one brand new one—in May 2011 after a four-year hiatus. After playing there in September, I can tell you it was worth the wait. New white silica sand and TifEagle greens provided heightened aesthetics and playability, but it’s those fabulous four cliff-top stunners that play over and alongside the Pacific that will really impress.

Not so hot are traditional package deals on Kauai, or elsewhere on the islands. That’s not to say you can’t find good deals, but formal golf resort packages aren’t really part of the program, mostly (I’m guessing) because the powers-that-be don’t have to compete to get you there—you’ve already made the decision to go, so there’s more of a “captive audience” aspect to golf in the islands.

Regardless of where you’re staying, all of Kauai’s courses are easily accessible and there are plenty of savings to be had. Even if you’re going from south to north, or vice versa, much of it is a very attractive drive.

If this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, make the journey to play Princeville’s Makai, even if the Prince has yet to reopen. If you plan to return, perhaps wait until the Prince is back in play. It’s that good.

For best bargains, don’t miss Kiahuna ($72-$103; 808-742-9595, kiahunagolf.com), with its laid-back ambiance and superb greens. Wailua ($48-$60; 808-241-6666, kauai.gov/golf), the island’s muni, is even cheaper and has a couple of jaw-dropping ocean holes, but it’s much more crowded and offers iffier conditions. I’m a fan of Puakea ($59-$135; 808-245-8756, puakeagolf.com) as well, not far from the airport, where parts of the movie “Jurassic Park” were filmed. Each nine is saddled with a few dullards, but each nine also has some of the most beautiful, memorable golf holes you could ask for.

Every one of these courses offers a “deal.” Some are for multiple-play rounds during a week, or to play a second round at a reduced rate—along with the usual deep discounts for resort guests where relevant. If you’re going this route, I do like Kauai Lagoons’ deal of $495 for the week, which includes unlimited golf, engraved bag tag, club storage and even a lesson. The most consistent value is simply to play almost all of these courses in the afternoon, when prices drop by as much as 50 percent. My advice is to check the individual web sites for the deal that appeals to you most.

Bottom line: Among the public-access courses, I rate The Prince Course at the St. Regis Princeville as tops, closely followed by Kauai Lagoons, Makai and Poipu Bay. Yet, every course on Kauai is priced accordingly, so the value is relative. There’s certainly good, inexpensive golf here, but for the most part, on Kauai, you get what you pay for.

Hi Joe,
Our foursome is looking at Florida this year and was wondering which golf destination you would recommend based on price and golf quality. We are comparing the Innisbrook Resort in Tampa and the PGA Golf Resort in Port St. Lucie. We know the golf is great at Innisbrook but is very expensive. Your thoughts?
Craig Emuss
Toronto, Canada

Do you have any barber training? You’re just about splitting hairs here. Innisbrook is on a bit of a roll, with new ownership from the Salamander Group putting money into all facets of the resort. The vast, roomy lodges have always been more of a “guy” thing, as has the golf, especially the two signature tracks, Copperhead and Island, which demand many forced carries over sand and water to elevated greens. The surprisingly hilly Copperhead hosts the PGA Tour, and par seldom takes a beating, while Island played host to the 1990 Men’s NCAA Championship, where Arizona State’s Phil Mickelson took the individual title.

The other two courses, the North and the South are solid, but not necessarily memorable. I will say that the once-spartan accommodations have nicer accents these days and the restaurants and common areas have noticeable upgrades. I had an excellent filet, Oscar-style, at Packard’s Steakhouse on my last visit. The resort hardly rocks at night, but Tampa definitely has more off-course options than Port St. Lucie as well, if that’s important.

Hard partying isn’t something I associate with the lower-priced PGA Golf Resort, either, but the golf facilities are outstanding, especially for the price. There’s wonderful variety on the three courses, two by Tom Fazio and one by Pete Dye, and the practice ground is one of the finest I’ve experienced. I was smitten with the nine different practice bunkers that offered varied styles and even different sand, a treat for the golfer who travels.

Innisbrook has a little more cachet in its PGA Tour pedigree, more privacy by limiting outside play and more upscale facilities. PGA Golf Resort offers a ton of good things for the money, and its third-ranked course is far better than Innisbrook’s counterpart. Sorry, partner, you’ll have to flip a coin on this one.

Take It From Joe: Wrangling a Waialae Tee Time
This week’s PGA Tour venue, Waialae Country Club in Honolulu sports, an architecture pedigree that few other sites can match: It’s a Seth Raynor original. Raynor is hardly a household name to casual golf fans, but to design buffs, he’s pure gold. Few ever get to walk up and pay a green fee on a Raynor spread, because his finest creations are locked behind some of the sturdiest gates in golf.

A protégé of pioneer American architect C.B. Macdonald, Raynor crafted such low-key, Top 100 private gems as Fishers Island, Chicago Golf Club, Shoreacres, Camargo and Yeamans Hall. Waialae, which Raynor laid out just before he died in 1926, is not one of his shining stars, though to be fair, much of the magic has eroded over time, with the nines flipped and the design, bunkers and greens altered. It’s still got classic bones, however, and you can’t beat Honolulu’s climate.

Waialae is ostensibly private, but if you find yourself on Oahu and want to walk in the famous footsteps that have trod its fairways, including such past champions Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Hale Irwin and Ernie Els, book a stay at the Royal Hawaiian (808-923-7311, royal-hawaiian.com), part of the Luxury Collection, situated five miles from the course in Waikiki. Registered guests can inquire one week in advance, with play available Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and the occasional Friday. So this isn’t Pebble Beach—or even Kapalua. But a Seth Raynor course, 80 degrees, tropical breezes and PGA Tour history? Sign me up.

(Photo: Princeville Resort)

We’ll leave the LSU-Alabama football game breakdown to our colleagues at Sports Illustrated, but here’s our take on which state wins the golf battle.

1. Marquee Golf Course

LSU: TPC Louisiana

Alabama: Shoal Creek

TPC Louisiana has never sniffed Golf Magazine’s Top 100, private or public. Shoal Creek is a gorgeous, early Jack Nicklaus design that twice played host to the PGA Championship.

Edge: Alabama

Nick Price hits a tee shot on No. 14 at Shoal Creek in Birmingham, Ala. [Stan Badz, PGA Tour]

2. Public-Access State Golf Trail

LSU: Audubon Golf Trail

Alabama: Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

What elevates the Audubon Trail is its superb variety as well as its lack of crowds. From the ancient Audubon Park layout in the heart of New Orleans that’s been skillfully reworked into a par-62 spread to the beauty and brawn illuminated by such remote tracks as Atchafalaya at Idlewild and Tamahka Trails to a PGA Tour site such as the TPC Louisiana, there’s something for everybody. Unlike Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Trail, however, there’s little to tie these individual properties together, except that they’re mostly flattish, value-oriented venues awash in both man-made and natural hazards. The Trent Jones Trail, on the other hand, remains the most successful golf trail of all, with 11 separate destinations, each no more than 30 minutes from the Interstate and each within a two-hour drive from another Trail course. What most RTJ Trail courses share are functional, semi-attractive cookie-cutter clubhouses, back-to-nature settings free of homes and roads, and courses laden with elevated tees and greens, making for attractive tee shots and difficult approaches. Finally, all of these courses are brutes—hilly, with lots of large tattered-edge bunkers, multiple water hazards and huge, multi-tiered greens. So while there’s a certain sameness to the shot demands at RTJ Trail courses, they deliver sufficient variety—and superior value.

Edge: Alabama

The fourth green on the Short Course at Cambrian Ridge, Greenville, Ala., [Michael Clemmer]

3. Tournament Pedigree

LSU: PGA Tour 1922-present, 1966 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur

Alabama: Multiple PGA, LPGA and Champions Tour events, as well as several USGA and PGA Championships

Both PGA Championships at Birmingham’s Shoal Creek were memorable, with Lee Trevino slipping by Gary Player in 1984 and the racial controversy in 1990. The senior set was enamored with their return there in 2011 for the Regions Tradition tournament. Louisiana, however, boasts a long and remarkable history of New Orleans Open events on the PGA Tour, with winners that include Byron Nelson in his record-setting 1945 season, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Seve Ballesteros and Lee Westwood. Most memorable are local favorite David Toms besting Phil Mickelson in 2001, Davis Love’s playoff win in 1995 to get him into the Masters, and David Frost holing a bunker shot at the 72nd to nip the snake-bit Greg Norman in 1990. In 2011, Bubba Watson denied Webb Simpson’s first win when a breeze and a baked-out green caused Simpson’s ball to waver at address, resulting in a penalty—and prompting a rules change for 2012.

Edge: Louisiana

Bubba Watson won the 2011 Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana. [Hunter Martin/Getty Images]

4. Best Tour Player

LSU: David Toms

Alabama: Jerry Pate

Toms has enjoyed a long, stellar career, with 13 PGA Tour wins, including his dramatic 2001 PGA Championship triumph over Phil Mickelson. Most recently, Toms captured the 2011 Crowne Plaza Invitation at Colonial. He competed on four Presidents Cup teams and three Ryder Cup teams. Pate was brilliant early, with a win in the 1974 U.S. Amateur, then sealed the 1976 U.S. Open with an incredible 5-iron to three feet at the 72nd. Injuries cut his career short, but not before he took two unforgettable plunges into greenside lakes, at Memphis in 1981 to celebrate breaking a victory drought and again in 1982 at the Players, the first held at the new TPC Sawgrass Stadium course. Fittingly, both Toms’ and Pate’s greatest major moments occurred on the 18th hole at Atlanta Athletic Club.

Edge: Even

Jerry Pate celebrates his 1982 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. [Lawrence Levy Archive]

David Toms at the 2011 PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. [Craig Jones/ALLSPORT]  

And the Winner Is…

Alabama wins the golf competition by a field goal.

This story originally appeared in the Golf Magazine Front9 App. To download the weekly app, visit the Apple iTunes store.

For the first time, Black Diamond Ranch—Florida's greatest piece of golf property—is permitting outside play. The rolling country, split-rail fences and live oaks create a bucolic idyll, and the 45 holes of Tom Fazio golf rank among the best in the U.S.

The Quarry course, a Top 100 staple, boasts five straight killer holes, Nos. 13-17, which play around and over a yawning, 100-foot chasm lined with white limestone rock. The wonderful and underrated Ranch course has superb bunkering and exciting elevation change.

The Pure Golf Getaway includes two nights' accommodations in a Black Diamond home and golf over all 45 holes. Rates start at $399 per person, based on quadruple occupancy. Situated 90 minutes north of Tampa and Orlando, it's a hike, but it's well worth the trek and the price. 352-453-5473, blackdiamondranch.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.

(Photo: John and Jeaninne Henebry)

Black Horse Golf Course
Seaside, Calif.
7,024 yards, par 72
Green fees: $60-$145
831-899-7271
Bayonetblackhorse.com

Sibling rivalries stretch from Cain and Abel to Edoardo and Francesco (Molinari), and golf courses aren't exempt. The legacy of one course overshadowing its blood relative dates to 1895, when the New joined the Old at St. Andrews.

Similarly, Black Horse is the less celebrated of the two former Fort Ord Army base layouts overlooking Monterey Bay, 20 minutes north of Pebble Beach. Its elder, Bayonet, has long grabbed the glory here, having hosted multiple Nationwide and PGA Tour Q-School events as well as Hall-of-Famers such as Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller and Tom Watson.

So hard and handsome is the 58-year-old Bayonet that locals dub it "the poor man's Spyglass." In most cases, the younger (by 10 years) Black Horse was an afterthought.

Not anymore.

In 2008, architect Gene Bates engineered a renovation on both courses that elevated Black Horse to near-equal status with its revered sibing. He cleared trees, in the process opening up Pacific Ocean views; he regraded fairways and greens and improved overall irrigation; and he redesigned bunkers, giving them distinctive, serrated edges.

Most striking is the brand-new, 224-yard par-3 15th. From the elevated tee the hole yields a stirring view of Monterey Bay, and if those brisk ocean breezes grab hold of your ball, five ravenous right-front bunkers await at the green. With a level of challenge that's equal to the tips at Bayonet, and more room to play than its tree-choked relative, it's well worth saddling up to Black Horse.

(Photo: Joann Dost)

Dear Joe,
My wife and I are taking a two-week trip to the Hawaiian Islands in early January to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We both want to play a few rounds over the two weeks. This is our first time in Hawaii, so any recommendations are appreciated.
—Sunil Kochhar, Savigny, Switzerland

You're traveling a long way, so do it right with a "special occasion" itinerary. My first choice, Kapalua's Plantation on Maui, is likely off-limits, as the PGA Tour pros open their season there the first week of the new year, so stick with the Kohala Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii, which offers the most reliable early January weather.

Don't miss Mauna Kea ($155-$250; 808-882-5400, princeresortshawaii.com/mauna-kea-golf-course) on the Big Island, home to Hawaii's most spectacular hole, the 272-yard, over-the-ocean, par-3 3rd. However, Mauna Kea is rugged golf.

If you want softer but still scenic seaside play, opt for the Jack Nicklaus-designed Hualalai ($250; 808-325-8000, fourseasons.com/hualalai), though you'll have to stay at the pricey but superb Four Seasons Hualalai to tee it up.

Framed by stark lava rocks, the South Course at Mauna Lani ($165-$265; 808-885-6655, maunalani.com) is another friendly layout option. Maui, Oahu, Kauai and Lana'i also boast dozens of other can't-go-wrong choices—golf and otherwise—but at that time of year, go Big (Island) or go home.

Hey Joe,
My wife and I will be traveling to Scottsdale this December with our 13-year-old daughter. We're all on the north side of 18 handicaps. We'd like to experience desert golf that's fun but not too tough. Any suggestions?
—David Danielson, Cleveland, Ohio

Here are my top three courses in the Greater Phoenix area for playability, scenery and architectural interest. The North Course at Talking Stick ($40-$175, with a 1 p.m. and later December rate of $80; 480-860-2221, talkingstickgolfclub.com) is a flat Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw design with no homes or roads affecting play and occasional wild horse sightings.

The Phoenician ($60-$189, with a Family Tees program available; 480-423-2450, thephoenician.com) sports more forced carries over water and desert, but the short and in-your-face mountain encounters make it sporty for all.

Finally, there's Longbow ($58-$155, with special rates for juniors; 480-807-5400, longbowgolf.com) in Mesa. Bold bunkering, mountain vistas, terrific variety and value define this 1997 Ken Kavanaugh design.

Dear Joe,
My family is headed to Palm Desert, Calif., over Christmas. My brothers and I, ages 26-32, are average weekend golfers who would like to play two or three rounds. Our price range is $60-$150. Any suggestions on courses with good views that will leave us with a few bucks for a beer at the 19th hole?
—Patrick Read, Baltimore, Md.

Ah, yes—the golf-beer balance is a delicate one, indeed. I hope you like PBR, because you'll only have a buck or two left after your Saturday round at La Quinta Resort & Club's Mountain course ($139-$189 in December; 760-564-7610, laquintaresort.com). But it will taste great after you duel with a back nine that boasts the reachable par-5 15th—its green curled into a mountain cove—and the downhill par-3 16th, a forced carry to a sliver of green hemmed in by rocky desert scrub.

To save enough cash for the imported stuff, try the region's best bargain, Escena Golf Club ($60-$105; 760-778-2737, escenagolf.com), a six-year-old Nicklaus Design effort near the Palm Springs Airport. There are wide fairways and bunkers that a 15-handicapper can escape, with just enough water to keep things interesting.

The middle-ground pricewise is Marriott's Desert Springs ($135 in December, $79 after 2 pm; 760-341-2211, desertspringsresort.com), whose Palm and Valley courses won't wow you with design innovation but will knock you over with scenery, from waterscapes to towering palms to mountain views.

Hello Joe,
I'm going to spend a week in the Ft. Myers, Fla., area. What courses would you recommend in the $100-$150 range?
—Herman Schnieders, via e-mail

Bargains in southwest Florida are pretty rare, but there are still a few options. Start with Old Corkscrew ($85-$125; 239-949-4700, oldcorkscrew.com), a vintage Jack Nicklaus creation 25 miles south of Ft. Myers in Estero that's a playful blend of sand, water and wetlands, and whose back tees stretch to 7,393 yards.

Riverwood ($65 in December; 941-764-6661, riverwoodgc.com) is worth the hour's trek north to Port Charlotte. The 7,004-yard Gene Bates design zigzags through woods on the front nine and salt marshes on the back.

Closer to Ft. Myers, your best values are the watery but spacious Stoneybrook ($67.50-$105; 239-948-3933, stoneybrookgolfestero.com) in Estero, and Eastwood ($40-$60; 239-321-7487, cityftmyers.com/eastwood), a tight, heavily bunkered 34-year-old Devlin/Von Hagge effort.

(Photo: Larry Lambrecht)

Four years after a $150 million renovation was completed at the 392-room Turnberry Isle Miami, this Golf Magazine Premier Resort Silver Medalist still shines as bright as the Florida sun.

Raymond Floyd re-energized the property's 36 holes, originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., adding contoured fairways, waste areas and new bunkering. The Soffer Course, named for the property's owner, is the longer (7,047 yards) and tougher of the pair, with palm tree-lined fairways plus an island green on the 18th hole, adjacent to the state's largest waterfall.

The Miller Course (shorter by almost 700 yards) makes good use of Lake Julius on numerous back-nine holes. Any pain inflicted by high scores can be eased at The Spa & Fitness Center (where you might consider a golf-swing analysis and fitness assessment) or by soaking up the sun a short shuttle ride away at the resort's private Ocean Club on the Atlantic.

Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak is the top dining option at the resort, located 20 minutes south of Fort Lauderdale Airport and 30 minutes north of Miami's South Beach.

Stay and Play packages start at $649. 305-932-6200, turnberryislemiami.com

(Photo: Nile Young)