The 14th hole at Old MacDonald at the Bandon Dunes resort (Courtesy of Bandon Dunes).

The news from coastal Oregon on Wednesday was encouraging. Bandon Dunes domo Mike Keiser met with the governor of Oregon and the Oregon State Parks Department to discuss the fate of a new course he has planned, tentatively called Bandon Muni Golf Links. “There’s no official announcement at this time,” says Bandon Dunes spokesman B.R. Koehnemann, but sources indicate that the meeting resulted in a preliminary agreement for a land swap to take place that will allow for the creation of the 27-hole course. To that, I say, “Bring it on!”

From Day 1 in the spring of 1999, passionate course connoisseurs flocked to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, the greatest “must-play” public-course mecca ever built in the United States. So significant was its impact that in 2004, Golf Magazine named it No. 34 of the 45 Greatest Golf Moments of the past 45 years. Since then, Keiser has only enhanced the product, exponentially. Naturally, environmentalists from a fistful of factions have raised stop signs -- or at least caution flags -- but if there’s one guy to trust to get things right on the Oregon coast, it’s Keiser.

The plan Keiser has in mind is to create a St. Andrews-style muni operation; while his would be privately owned, it would be operated to benefit locals especially, as is the case with how the St. Andrews Links Trust administers its golf offerings. To that end, Keiser acquired several coastal parcels roughly 15 minutes south of Bandon Dunes and hired golf’s hottest architect, Gil Hanse, to craft 27 holes. That plan has been in place for at least two, perhaps even three years, and Hanse has completed several preliminary routings. However, Keiser has had his eye on some virtually untouched State Park land, replete with massive dunes, scrubby vegetation and magnificent ocean views that would turn his good golf course into a potentially outstanding one. He proposed a land swap with the state government, but his proposal had stalled -- or at least had been idling for many months. Optimism on Keiser’s part had clearly faded -- until now.

The age-old issue of land tampering now rears its head. Do we really need more golf in Bandon? Is it worth it to intrude on such a pristine piece of property? For the state or Oregon to part with such a parcel, there has to be an “overwhelming public benefit,” says a state parks spokesman. Keiser makes a compelling case. He’s asking for a small slice of an otherwise inaccessible plot that’s covered with gorse and other invasive plant species. In exchange he would give up land of equal or greater value, plus cash. He would offer state residents substantial discounts and invite locals from Coos and Curry Counties to play for nominal, even miniscule rates. Juniors would play free of charge and a caddie program will be established to provide jobs for young people.

So long as the bulk of the duneland is maintained in its natural state, this sounds like an “overwhelming public benefit” to me. Thinking that Keiser has kept every promise in keeping Bandon Dunes sustainable and that Gil Hanse embodies the lay-of-the-land, don’t-fight-with-nature-but-rather-work-with-it-kind of architect, the Bandon Muni project seems like a certain home run. There remain many hurdles to overcome, but for now, I’m excited to place Bandon Muni on the front burner.

The 16th hole at Hershey East, the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, and Gettysburg re-enactors.

An old political joke about Central Pennsylvania goes, "What's in between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh? Alabama." Yes, the middle of the state is a wide expanse of farmland and wilderness between the state's two major cities, but there's plenty to see amid the cows and countryside: the historic Gettysburg battlefield, the old-time ways of the Amish, and the Nittany Lions on Saturday afternoons in State College. And for golfers, Central Pennsylvania is home to some first-class golf at reasonable prices, no joke.

The Golf:

Hershey Country Club, Hershey Pa.

West Course: 6,860 yards, par 72; Greens fees: $145

East Course: 7,061 yards, par 71; Greens fees: $130

The West Course is an American parkland classic, site of the 1940 PGA Championship. It was also where Ben Hogan plied his trade as a teaching pro from 1941-1951. You won't find many holes with more local flavor than the par-3 fifth--you tee off in front of the smokestacks of the chocolate factory to a green in the front yard of Milton Hershey's estate, positioned so the old man could keep an eye on his business. The George Fazio-designed East Course was designed to host Tour stops and it will test even accomplished players with demanding tee shots and elevated greens.

Dauphin Highland Golf Course, Harrisburg, Pa.

7,121 yards, par 72; Greens fees: $45-$59

Locals know that Dauphin Highlands, a varied, well-maintained track near a bend in the Susquehanna River, is one of the best bargains you'll find anywhere. This course in the state capital is full of challenging and memorable holes like the par-4 seventh, where a well-placed drive will leave you a short-iron over a fishing pond into a shallow green.

Penn National Golf Club, Fayetteville, Pa.

The Founders Course 6,972 yards, par 72; Greens fees: $65-$79

The Iron Forge Course 7,009 yards, par 72; Greens fees: $65-79

Just a short drive from the Gettysburg National Historical Park, Penn National features two high-quality tracks. The Founders Course is a traditional parkland course, notable for its collection of par 5s (including the 615-yard eighth) and mountain views. The newer Iron Forge Course has a distinctive tree-less look and a cool risk-reward option on 18.

Where to Stay:

The Hershey Hotel has the charms of a grand, old-style hotel with full modern amenities, thanks to a recent renovation. Penn State fans will want to book at room at the Atherton Hotel  right in the midst of State College's shops and restaurants. Central Pennsylvania is known for charming inns and bed-and-breakfasts -- you can find a complete list at PaInns.com

What to Do:

History still lives and breathes in the fields of the Gettysburg National Military Park; kids will love the roller coasters and water rides at Hersheypark; one of the best way to tour Amish Country is by bicycle and the Lancaster Bike Club has tours for beginners and expert riders; and finally everyone know that State College jumps on Penn State home football game in the fall, but the Northeast's best college town also hosts the four-day Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in July.

Photo: The 16th hole of the West Course at Hershey Country Club (Fred Vuich); Pennsylvania State Capital (Courtesy of State of Pennsylania_, Gettysburg (Getty Images).

When Pound Ridge Golf Club opened in 2008, players gasped at its difficulty (146 slope) and pre-recession price.

Still, many in New York City's public-golf-starved suburbs paid the flat $235 fee for the memorable test, eye-catching aesthetics and Tour-caliber conditions (narrow fairways; small, contoured greens).

Today, fees are hardly cut-rate, but various price points and stay-and-play hotel packages let more people enjoy this wild ride for as little as $100 per round.

Pete Dye and his son Perry crafted the layout from the remnants of a nine-holer on a site studded with rocks, wetlands and mature trees. The result is stunning — and punishing.

You may lose a sleeve (or two) of balls from the 6,279-yard middle tees (140 slope), but you'll play unforgettable holes, like the 480-yard, par-5 13th, which demands a semi-blind drive over "Pete's Rock," and the 174-yard, par-3 15th, its slender green sandwiched by wetlands and rock outcroppings.

Don't fret if invites to nearby private treasures Winged Foot and Quaker Ridge never come your way. Public Pound Ridge is every bit as challenging.

Pound Ridge Golf Club
Pound Ridge, N.Y.
7,165 yards, par 72
Green fees: $100-$235
914-764-5771, poundridgegolf.com

(Photo: Jim Krajicek)

Pete Dye rescued golf-course architecture from the Dark Ages. He ushered visual excitement into the game in the form of tumbling fairways, island greens, bulk-headed hazards, pot bunkers and grassy mounds -- all of which are on display at this week's Tour venue, the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.

More important, however, he served up the steak to accompany the sizzle. Borrowing from classic Scottish and early-American designs, Dye reintroduced short par-4s, blind shots, small greens and risk/reward options, which placed a renewed premium on shotmaking and strategy.

In short order, the flattish, repetitive, "championship" layouts that defined post-World War II architecture through the 1970s yielded to character-filled courses that demanded cunning, creativity and patience.

But he had help.

Over time, the truth emerged about how valuable a collaborator Pete's wife, Alice, had been. A superb player in her own right, she championed the proper positioning of forward tees -- both for yardages and angles -- that provided distance-challenged golfers the chance to enjoy a course as much as the scratch player.

It was Alice's idea to raise the fairways at the Ocean Course at Kiawah, just to make the views -- and hence the round -- more memorable. It was also Alice who suggested turning the 17th at TPC Sawgrass into an island-green hole, recalling a similar one she and Pete had played more than 30 years earlier just up the road at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club. She also convinced Pete to raise the back portion of the 17th green; originally, he had it sloping toward the water.

Not only was Alice active in the designs, but in the Dyes early days, she also performed the drafting duties for Pete, who hadn't yet learned to decipher contour maps.

In 1982, she became the first woman elected to membership in the American Society of Golf Course Architects, and became its first female president in 1997. Two years later, I enjoyed the pleasure of her company during a round at Yeamans Hall Club, a low-key Seth Raynor classic near Charleston, S.C. After only one hole, I was in awe. I'm not sure I had ever met anyone so right-out-of-the-blocks brainy about design, and so straightforward in her pull-no-punches critique, yet so easy to warm to because of her humor and style. No wonder she and Pete have made such a formidable team for more than 60 years.

For any of us who have hit and held a shot at Sawgrass' 17th hole, or peered out at the ocean from Kiawah's fairways, or simply enjoyed our game more because someone in our group played a sensible set of forward tees at a Dye creation, here's a tip of the hat. Thanks, Alice. You're one of a kind.

(Photo: David Walberg/SI)

Spectator mounds at TPC Sawgrass allow fans to have an unobstructed view of the action (Getty Photo).

Serious golf fans will never forget the 1982 PLAYERS Championship, the first ever contested at the TPC Sawgrass.

We remember the tiny, terrifying, island-green 17th, the players' comments (Fuzzy Zoeller: "Where are the windmills and animals?") and the post-round splash by winner Jerry Pate.

The legacy of the 1982 event is memorable as well for the legion of other TPC facilities and events it spawned. In many respects, the growth of the TPC network was profit-driven, as cash generators for the Tour, via real estate, licensing and site fees. I've got no problem with that -- but it didn't really concern me, or my dad or my sister, for that matter. But it changed how we felt about attending a golf tournament.

Take my hometown event in Phoenix, for example. From the first tournament I attended in 1979 through 1986, our PGA Tour event took place at venerable old Phoenix Country Club, a layout that was as flat as the desk my laptop sits on. Few of the greens had grandstands, let alone the fairways, so mostly you couldn't see much of anything at crunch time. If you were lucky, you purchased one of those cardboard periscopes -- and if the mirrors adjusted just right, you could actually witness a golf shot.

Stadium golf changed all that. In 1987, Paul Azinger captured the Phoenix Open at the new TPC Scottsdale Stadium course, where every hole had hillsides at fairways and greens to let you see all the action. On a sunny Saturday in January this year, the Tour's one-day attendance record was shattered. More than 179,000 people dropped by that day, and they witnessed all of the golf shots they wanted to see.

Deane Beman had the initial vision for Stadium golf. He first discussed the topic with then-commissioner Joe Dey in the 1960s, and he ultimately chose Pete Dye to execute that vision, mainly because he liked what Pete had done on similarly flat, swampy ground up the coast at Hilton Head's Harbour Town.

Pete and his wife Alice traveled up to Toronto to see Glen Abbey, site of the Canadian Open. Jack Nicklaus, Dye's design consultant at Harbour Town, created Glen Abbey in 1976 and it was the first course to have specially constructed spectator mounds. The TPC Sawgrass Stadium course took the concept into the stratosphere. I'll let Dye himself explain how he did it.

"The easiest way to build a golf course on flat land," he wrote in Bury Me in a Pot Bunker, "is to dig a big hole for a lake and then use the dirt to elevate certain areas of the course ... When we emptied out space for a lake or pond, the resulting muck was piled up in the areas along the fairways and roughs and alongside the greens. Using this excess muck, we began to build the large spectator mounds that would provide perfect viewing areas for golf fans."

Dye continued, "The spectator mounds that became so famous at TPC were never envisioned to be anywhere near the height they rose to be. If I had told Deane Beman that he would have mounds as high as three-story buildings beside his low-profile greens, he would have fired me right then.

"During the months of constructing the course, the huge mounds simply evolved. The more muck I dug up, the higher the mounds became, but to our pleasant surprise, they looked great. We planned on ten- to twelve-foot-high mounds, but soon they approached thirty to forty feet and provided an amphitheater effect that really embellished the course.

"These spectator mounds were positioned on the right side of the hole so the gallery would be looking into the golfers' faces, and they were built on the northwest side to block out the prevailing wind. This also permitted the walking gallery plenty of room to move about the course."

Course critics have labeled these mounds as "unnatural" because they don't blend into the landscape. Ask me, or my dad or my sister if we care. We paid our money -- we wanted to see the golf shots.

(Photo: Robert Beck/Sports Illustrated)

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

Dear Joe,
Four of us are planning a trip to Ireland, but two of us will need a cart. Do any top courses there offer riding? Sounds sacrilegious, I know, but we're fighting some injuries.
—John Brady, Boston, Mass.

I feel your pain, John — literally. My knobby knees have limped their way around a few walking-only tracks. Among the Top 100 links that allow carts are The European Club ($136-$272; 011-353-404-47415, theeuropeanclub.com), Portmarnock ($156-$265; 011-353-1-8462-634, portmarnockgolfclub.ie), Waterville ($79-$255; 011-353-66-947-4102, watervillegolflinks.ie) and Old Head ($217-$312; 011-353-21-4778-444, oldhead.com).

One famous inland track that accommodates riding is the K Club ($115-$265; 011-353-1-601-7200, kclub.ie), site of the 2006 Ryder Cup. Battle on, sir. I'd rather use a "buggy" than not play at all.

Hi Joe,
I'm taking the clubs down to the Jersey Shore. Atlantic City Country Club is highly rated, but is it worth the fees? Any other courses you like?
—Hank Jenkins, Norristown, Pa.

Baby, you were born to run … to the Jersey Shore for golf. It's not cheap, but if you're serious about the game and great courses, spend the cash and play Atlantic City Country Club ($65-$225; 609-236-4411, accountryclub.com).

Ranked No. 80 in our Top 100 Courses You Can Play, the AC delivers on service, pace of play and a scenic, historic, 116-year-old course restored by Tom Doak.

Ballamor ($58-$105; 609-601-6220, ballamor.com) in Egg Harbor Township was private until 2010, but its large lakes, vast sand splashes and multitiered greens are now open to all.

And for faux-links fans, Twisted Dune ($50-$99; 609-653-8019, twisteddune.com) is a Garden State must.

Hi Joe,
My husband and I are celebrating our 25th anniversary with a golf weekend. He's a 10-handicap, and I'm a 25. We like lots of course options, fine food and a nice spa. Ideas?
—Mary Haley, Marietta, Ga.

Since you're based in suburban Atlanta, drive 80 minutes east on I-20 to Greensboro and check in to either Reynolds Plantation (800-800-5250, reynoldsplantation.com), which features condo and cottage options, or The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation (706-467-0600, ritzcarlton.com/en/properties/reynoldsplantation).

I've done both, and while the cottage option is wonderful, for a golf/spa/pampering weekend, I vote for the Ritz. All five resort-access courses are worthy, but for sheer, right-outside-your-door convenience, make the Rees Jones—designed Oconee ($245 à la carte rate, packages available) one of your picks. Wide landing areas framed by massive pines and an unforgettable finish along and over 19,000-acre Lake Oconee will make this an anniversary to remember.

Dear Joe,
I'm planning a spring getaway to Arizona, where I can play a lot of golf and my wife can walk to great shopping. Any advice for where to go in your sun-splashed home state?
—Mike Taylor, Lethbridge, Alberta

Mike, good on you and the missus for escaping Canada's arctic blasts, at least for a long weekend. You'll both like the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa ($59-$239; 480-624-1000, kierlandresort.com) in Scottsdale. There are three playable, Scott Miller—designed nines that blend parkland and desert, along with quality mountain views, superb dining (try Deseo for a splurge), excellent spa/workout facilities, and a five-minute stroll to North Scottsdale's best shopping at Kierland Commons, with some 75 retailers.

If she's a single-digit shopper already, she'll be scratch by the end of your trip.

(Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images)

Call it the Panhandle. Emerald Coast works, too. But let's never again refer to northwest Florida as the Redneck Riviera.

The region's Sandestin Resort is so good, it would fit right in on the French Riviera — only with more T-shirts and fewer tuxes. And that's fine by me, because I'm a huge fan of the marriage of flip-flops ambience and four-star golf, dining and lodging.

Folks who drop by this spring get a bonus. The resort typically punches the greens in late April, but because Sandestin is hosting the NCAA Division III National Championship in May, conditions will remain ideal for another month.

To take advantage, book Sandestin's Swing into Spring Package. Included are three nights at a 2-bedroom unit at the Village of Baytowne Wharf or a 3-bedroom at Bayside, three rounds of golf at the Links, Baytowne and the Raven (a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design and former Champions Tour venue), cart, $20 beverage credit and a Nike wedge.

Sandestin's beaches are brilliantly white, and the bunkers aren't bad, either. May rates start at $172 per player, per night, based on quadruple occupancy. 888-801-4388, sandestin.com.

(Photo: Courtesy of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort)

SAVE $105
Inn at Eagle Mountain
Fountain Hills, Ariz.

If cactus-covered slopes and wild terrain appeal to you this spring, the Round and a Room Golf Package at Eagle Mountain, east of Scottsdale, is a great way to kick off your season. Included is one night's lodging, a round at the Scott Miller—designed Eagle Mountain Golf Club, rental clubs, and a $10 breakfast coupon.

May rates start at $149 per person, based on double occupancy. 800-992-8083, innateaglemountain.com

SAVE $175
La Costa Resort and Spa
Carlsbad, Calif.

Perfect weather and suburban San Diego go hand-in-glove, all the better to take advantage of La Costa's Gold Medal Golf Package. The deal offers lodging at Southern California's only Gold Medal winner in our Premier Resorts Awards, unlimited golf on two PGA Tour courses, breakfast for two at Legends Bistro, club storage and 15 percent off at the pro shop.

May rates start at $469 per room, per night, based on double occupancy. 800-854-5000, lacosta.com

(Photo: Courtesy of Inn at Eagle Mountain)

Service
Location, location, location. The Wynn is the only golf resort on the Strip, so our hungover spy staying at the eponymous property was thrilled to find the pro shop just steps from the luxe lobby. Once there, it was a quick shoeshine before clean-cut attendants led him to his cart.

Pace of Play
March is high season in Sin City, but the fairways were far from clogged this Saturday morning. (Hey, $500 green fees screen out the low-rollers.) A topnotch caddie kept the pace to four hours and change, shared gossipy mini-tour tales and read almost every putt perfectly.

Quality
The dual vision of Steve Wynn and Tom Fazio, the 7,042-yard, par-70 track may be compact, but it packs more fun and drama than a Cirque du Soleil show. Holes are framed by thousands of pines and shrubs, and narrow landing areas off the tee make it a thinking-golfer's course.

Value
While dropping half a grand on golf would make Suze Orman's head spin, chances are you came to Vegas willing to stimulate the economy, so when in Rome … Bonus: A chipping lesson from our caddie on the par-3 15th ("more arms, less wrist") was still paying off weeks later!

Verdict
If you can afford the splurge, give yourself a lasting Vegas memory and tee it up. Also, play has been opened to non-resort guests, giving you the option to stay at a cheaper property and still enjoy this excellent, well-conditioned course. So for wallet watchers, it's a win-Wynn!

Wynn Golf Club
Las Vegas, Nev.
7,042 yards, par 70
Green fees: $500
702-770-4653, wynnlasvegas.com

(Photo: John and Jeannine Henebry)

Dorado Beach Resort (East)
Dorado, Puerto Rico
7,192 yards, par 72
Green fees: $125-$250
787-626-1001, doradobeachclubs.com

Legendary architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. not only coined the phrase "signature course," he also conceived the concept of "heroic" design, or a hole defined by risk-reward elements.

His signature heroic hole? The par-5 4th at Puerto Rico's Dorado Beach East, a Z-shaped, 481-yard temptress that offers players two chances at over-the-lake glory.

The hole looks better than ever, as does the rest of the course, thanks to the vision of the Robert Trent Jones II company, whose design team tweaked the older Trent Jones's iconic concept perfectly, lowering the fairway and slashing overgrown vegetation behind the green to open up long-lost vistas of the Atlantic, just 30 steps away.

Elsewhere, new sand, repositioned bunkers, improved irrigation and a restoration of Jones Sr.'s classic runway tee boxes have reenergized the layout.

Toss in the palatial Plantation Club residences (available to rent), a new Ritz-Carlton Reserve boutique hotel skirting the beach and frequent Chi Chi Rodriguez sightings (he has a home on the East course), and it's easy to envision Dorado Beach returning to its Eisenhower-era heyday.

(Photo: Warren Grant/Windfall Golf)